The first meeting of the European Heritage Hub’s newly established Advisory Council took place online on 20 February 2024. Spanning the whole of Europe and beyond, the Advisory Council includes over 50 members, gathering a wide range of expertise: from the heritage, creative industries and arts ecosystem; to architects, foundations, and environmental and investment leaders.
The Hub aims to become a permanent knowledge, networking and advocacy platform for cultural heritage, bringing together a large array of stakeholders and initiatives across the field to support the transition towards a more sustainable, digital and inclusive society. The Advisory Council’s role in providing strategic advice and guidance throughout the various activities of the Hub will be instrumental to secure the success and adequate implementation of this key project co-funded by the European Union.
The objective of the meeting was to present the strategy and priorities of the Hub to the Advisory Council; as well as to introduce the Members and learn about their expectations for the project.
The discussion was moderated by Hermann Parzinger, Executive President of Europa Nostra and chair of the Advisory Council. He underscored that the work of the Hub transcends EU borders: “The shared ambition for the Hub is to build bridges across the whole of Europe and beyond. We are pleased the European Union has provided additional financial support for the Hub to duly involve partners from the Western Balkans, Moldova, Ukraine and the Caucasus”.
Catherine Magnant, Head of Unity of Cultural Policy of the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, joined the meeting on behalf of the European Commission, reinforcing the expectation of the Hub as a connector among stakeholders across Europe and a focal point for knowledge sharing: “Pinpointing how we can contribute to Europe’s challenges is key. Heritage can lead on green, digital and social change. We look forward to the Hub Advisory Council’s contributions in these areas.”
Members of the Advisory Council were then invited to take the floor, presenting their priorities, expectations and potential contributions to the Hub. The discussion will help inform different task-forces based on experience and interest to assess and guide the Hub’s activities.
Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović, Project Leader of the Hub and Secretary General of Europa Nostra, thanked everyone for joining and reminded the importance of heritage to the future of Europe: “This project is important for achieving strategic European and global objectives and will benefit heritage stakeholders and society at large. Together we can demonstrate that Europe is more than a market or an economy.”
The full list of members of the Advisory Council can be found here. A dedicated section with more details will soon be available on the Hub’s website.
