NEW INHERIT is a long-term initiative in which GRADOSCOPE works with five experienced cultural organizations from Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, and Cyprus with the goal of identifying and disseminating innovative models for the sustainable reuse and development of cultural heritage.
The project, funded by the Creative Europe program of the European Commission, aims to analyze, extract, and put into practice successful models and practical skills needed for the sustainable reuse of cultural heritage, in the context of green transformation and the needs of modern society. Working with some of Europe’s leading organizations and experts in the field, we set ourselves the following objectives:
Analyze
Extract
Create
Inspire and train
A key part of the project is the traineeship programme for young professionals. Through an Open call, three cultural ambassadors from each country will be selected to participate in training sessions and will have the task of creating and implementing adaptation strategies. The newly acquired knowledge should be put into practice in six initiatives related to the revitalization of post-industrial cultural heritage in all six countries of the project partners. In Bulgaria, the experience and opportunities provided by participation in the NEW INHERIT project will be used to develop the next steps of the GRADOSCOP initiative – The Green Transition of Stations, which aims at a sustainable future for the disused railway areas from Stoczna Station to Poduyane-distribution Station in Sofia.
First steps
The GRADOSCOPE team is responsible for preparing a detailed report of what is happening in the field of cultural heritage in the six project countries with the expert participation of the New Architectural Heritage team.
This includes documenting:
- Current policies and regulations related to the conservation, reuse, and development of cultural heritage.
- Financing tools and most common business models for developing entrepreneurship in the creative industries, and jobs related to cultural heritage management.
- Sustainable and green practices that ensure the implementation of the principles of footprint reduction, circular and green economy, and green professions in cultural heritage conservation and development.
- Involvement of stakeholders, including socially excluded and disadvantaged groups in cultural heritage activation projects. This includes working with communities, bringing in external expertise, and creating long-term partnerships.
An important part of NEW INHERIT is the creation of a network of cultural ambassadors through the involvement of young professionals who will be actively involved in the dissemination and application of project knowledge and the implementation of cultural activations at a local level. Three ambassadors from each country will have the opportunity to be involved in creating a functional strategy for the adaptation and reuse of cultural heritage.
Open call
Through this Open Call, we are looking for three young professionals from each country – participants who have ideas and desire to develop initiatives and entrepreneurial projects in the field of cultural heritage.
Over the next year, these three Bulgarians will take on the role of cultural ambassadors and will be able to test their ideas and develop their knowledge in practice by taking part in three training courses in Germany, Belgium, and Spain, where they will learn about many successful examples and the experience of leading European experts in the activation and creative use and development of historic buildings.
These Cultural Ambassadors will have the opportunity to be actively involved in the next steps of our Green Transition at Stations initiative, as well as in the dissemination of knowledge from the project.
Requirements for applicants:
- Live in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Cyprus, Spain or Bulgaria.
- Have a good command of English (minimum B1, preferably B2).
- Minimum 18 years old.
- preferably have a background or experience in cultural management, cultural heritage, placemaking or community arts.
- be able to commit the necessary time and actively participate in the whole process over the next 12 months.
- Participate in online and offline meetings with the project team and in three five-day visits and trainings that will take place in Berlin, Brussels, and Murcia. Be motivated to contribute to the adaptive reuse of cultural heritage and participate in the preparation of socio-cultural analyses and the organization of activations.
- to disseminate the knowledge and experience gained during this project through participation in events and meetings.
Everything about the call can be found here: https://shorturl.at/0qvtn
If this sounds interesting to you, you can apply until 10 September: https://shorturl.at/cGbv3
Strategies for sustainable re-use of cultural heritage
In the third phase of the project, participants develop a functional business model for the adaptive reuse of cultural heritage. This is an opportunity to apply the acquired knowledge and skills at a local level, proposing a strategy for the activation of each of the six test sites and the organization of cultural activities on its territory.
In developing the strategy the following should be considered:
- the possibilities of activating the local circular economy through the creation of new cultural jobs. Cultural ambassadors should take on the role of cultural operators and entrepreneurs.
- Workshops to involve the local community and experts, during which the concept of space activation and the proposed activities should be discussed with representatives of the different target groups.
Digital tools for training young professionals
Based on the detailed analyses, the project participants will create experimental tools to disseminate best practices and train young professionals in the field of cultural management. This includes the development of a web portal and an application that will contain:
- Information related to the necessary knowledge and skills needed to implement this type of project.
- A digital database collecting examples of good practices from across Europe and guidance on how to apply them.
- Information about the NEW INHERIT project and its development, including the development of an augmented reality visualizers of the six test locations and their potential application.
Training program:
October 2024
Online preparation meetings to get to know all participants and cultural ambassadors selected in the open call.
November 2024 Participation in a five-day training visit to successful placemaking locations in Germany. First training and visit to projects and initiatives in Berlin, Erfurt and Weimar.
Nov 2024 - Dec 2025 Concept planning, strategy, and activations for local test site development.
April 2024 Participation in a five-day training visit to successful placemaking initiatives in Spain.
October 2025 Participation in a five-day training visit of successful placemaking initiatives in Brussels.
December 2025 Online summary meeting of partners and cultural ambassadors to discuss experiences and lessons learned during the project.
Activation of the test locations
In 2025, NEW INHERIT participants will be tasked with implementing the activation strategy for the six test locations. They will be responsible for the day-to-day implementation of the planned activities and will evaluate the effectiveness and sustainability of the implemented strategy.
Selected test locations to conduct the activations:
- Spain: Former barracks in Murcia
- Belgium: Brussels North Station
- Germany: Music Academy (OMA) and Eiermann Building
- Bulgaria: Sofia Central Station
- Italy: “neu – spazio al lavoro” in
- Italy: “neu – spazio al lavoro” in Palermo
- Cyprus: ‘Ktima Gerolemo’ with the Community Council of Omodos