Sixteen international projects met online for the Midterm Plenary and Thematic Discussions of the Climate & Cultural Heritage (CCH) Call. The event, held on 29 April and 5–6 May 2025, created a dynamic space for exchange and opened new pathways for collaboration.
The CCH Call, launched in 2023 and jointly organised by the JPI CH , JPI Climate and Belmont Forum, supports research at the intersection of cultural heritage and climate change. Now at the halfway point, the 16 funded projects came together for a two-part midterm event designed not only to share their progress but to foster meaningful interaction across the cohort.
The Plenary Session on 29 April opened with welcoming remarks from the organisers, followed by a fast-paced Lightning Talk segment in which each project presented its research focus and emerging results through the lens of self-defined keywords.
The second half of the session introduced an innovative Guided Self-Organisation process. Using an interactive Zoom whiteboard and building on the shared keywords, participants worked collaboratively to form five thematic groups. Themes ranged from climate adaptation to heritage resilience. Despite the well-known challenges of online networking, the session proved highly successful. Project leaders engaged actively, exchanged ideas, and collectively shaped the structure of the follow-up discussions with openness and enthusiasm.
The five Thematic Discussions were held on 5 and 6 May. Each group convened for a two-hour session, with formats varying slightly. Most included short presentations followed by open dialogue. Participation was strong, with many projects attending multiple sessions. New research alignments emerged, and several projects are now planning follow-up meetings or exploring opportunities for joint outputs.
The midterm event succeeded in what it set out to do: to bring the CCH cohort together not only to reflect, but to connect. It demonstrated that even across digital platforms and time zones, collaborative energy and new ideas can thrive.
Looking ahead, the JPI CH will continue to support this dynamic research community. As the future European Partnership on Resilient Cultural Heritage takes shape—with its ambition to launch a new decade of heritage-focused research calls—there is clear momentum and commitment within this network. The work being done under the CCH Call is already paving the way for deeper impact in the years to come.
