Cultural Heritage in Action – Relating Past to Present

Creator: Interact|Art form: Crafts, Visual arts|Knowledge valorisation : Co-creation, Outreach|Place: Heraklion ,Greece|Location : Offline|Target group: Educators, NGOs|Domains: Democratic Change and Society|Duration : Participatory Process

Experiential learning, study visits and simulations

Challenge: Bridging the gap between historical values, beliefs, and traditions and today's educational needs.

Bridging the gap between historical values, beliefs, and traditions and today’s educational needs can be difficult. Educators must find ways to relate cultural heritage to present-day concerns and student experiences. Participants must learn how to work with tangible heritage (buildings, artifacts) and intangible heritage (traditions, stories, practices). Traditional teaching methods may not be enough to fully engage students with cultural heritage. The challenge lies in using innovative methods like simulations, re-enactments, study visits, and media production to bring the past to life in a way that resonates with students.

Participants engage in theoretical lessons, presentations of exemplary practices, and discussions to compare experiences. They explore the theoretical foundations and familiarise themselves with various tools. Through practical exercises, they learn to utilise cultural heritage as a resource for education. The program emphasises on-site experiential learning, including study visits and simulations.

Resources needed

Experts in cultural heritage, history, and education who can teach the modules and facilitate discussions. Artists and craftsmen specialising in traditional practices for hands-on workshops. Classrooms or training spaces equipped with audiovisual aids for lectures, discussions, and presentations.
Access to cultural heritage sites (e.g., museums, historical monuments, traditional craft centers) for field trips and study visits.
Outdoor spaces for simulations, re-enactments, and team-building activities.

Purpose of artistic intervention

Through simulations, re-enactments, and media production projects, participants engage with cultural heritage not just as knowledge, but as a living creative process. Re-enacting historical events and traditions adds an emotional and sensory layer to the learning, fostering empathy and deeper understanding. Media projects allow participants to creatively express and document their experiences, blending art with education to make heritage accessible and engaging for students. Artistic adaptation, therefore, enhances both the personal connection to heritage and its relevance to contemporary teaching.

Positive impacts

By using experiential learning methods such as field trips, re-enactments, and media production projects, participants are able to connect historical values, beliefs, and traditions to contemporary educational practices. Teachers gain practical tools to incorporate both tangible and intangible cultural heritage into their curricula, fostering a deeper understanding of cultural identity and community among students. This hands-on approach encourages active learning and makes the past more relatable, resulting in a more dynamic and immersive educational experience that bridges the gap between heritage and present-day teaching.

Replication

Collaboration with local museums, heritage sites, and cultural experts would be essential for organising field trips and providing specialised knowledge, ensuring the content is relevant to the area’s specific heritage. The course modules, including study visits, re-enactments, and media projects, would be tailored to local cultural heritage and educational needs. This flexibility allows for a diverse range of cultural contexts to be explored across different regions.