A new and exciting chapter is beginning to unite and professionalise the European cultural heritage sector: CHARTER is officially and publicly starting its activity. The Erasmus+ funded project started back in January 2021 and is now launching its communication platform not only to inform about the project’s progress, but to build an open dialogue with the people who are part of the cultural heritage ecosystem. Find in this article all you need to know about this ground-breaking new project.

The European Cultural Heritage Skills Alliance CHARTER brings together the expertise of some of the leading organisations in cultural heritage to ensure a long-lasting and durable sector. With a total duration of four years, the Erasmus+ funded project will professionalise the sector and make obvious its contribution to sustainable and thriving societies and economies.

The project stems from the lack of statistical recognition of the cultural heritage sector (CH) since without it, the economic impact of the sector goes unnoticed. Consequently, its potential to strengthen European cultural identities and social cohesion cannot be realised. The initiative Cultural Heritage Actions to Refine Training, Education and Roles (CHARTER) will combine new gathered knowledge of sector specific competencies and skills with already existing findings and recommendation to streamline a new strategic approach to sectoral cooperation.

What to expect from the CHARTER Alliance?

The Alliance will map the needs of the CH sector to identify skills shortages and mismatches in order to develop fitting training programmes for already active CH professionals. The Alliance will also support the educational system to be responsive and adapt curricula and learning goals in accordance with the actual needs of the sector. Upskilling of core and transversal skills will be made easy and exchange, capacity building and movement within Europe will be encouraged. All efforts combined will professionalise the sector and CHARTER will showcase that CH is integral in achieving social, economic and environmental sustainability.

Furthermore, CHARTER will carry out regional pilots to validate new approaches based on research findings. It will analyse sectoral dynamics and map stakeholders. It will also propose task descriptors for occupational and economic frameworks to streamline the European CH job market.

Who will benefit from the CHARTER Alliance?

The ambitiousness and vastness of the project mission and objectives makes CHARTER a multi-target initiative. The systemic and strategic approach of CHARTER integrates the needs and interests of the cultural heritage sector as a whole, aiming to positively impact on many of the stakeholders included on it:

  • CH Industry & CH Professionals. Archaeologists, architects, landscape architects and conservator-restorers, craft-restorers, art-historians, anthropologists, archivists, librarians and other specialists, museum professionals in all profiles (educators, curators, documentalists, etc.), heritage managers and planners, mediators, heritage interpreter, digital and IT, etc.
  • Universities, High Education Institutes & Academics. Professors, Senior Teachers, Lecturers, Researchers.
  • Students. Undergraduates, Graduates, Career-changers, PhD students, PhDs of mainly cultural heritage/cultural management faculties.
  • VET centres & Trainers.
  • Public Bodies
  • Policy makers at local, national and EU level
  • Networks. Education, Regions, Cultural Heritage, Cultural Policy, Museums.
  • Erasmus+ projects

Check more information about the CHARTER Alliance in the About us section.