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Children and young people search for European narratives in their immediate surroundings

Ministry of the Environment
Publication date 23.3.2018 6.18
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Finnish concept extended to the whole of Europe to honour the European Year of Cultural Heritage

The Cultural Heritage Makers is a competition designed in Finland to inspire children and young people to explore and analyse their immediate surroundings and cultural heritage. In 2018 the competition was extended to the whole of Europe by inviting all under 18-year-olds to participate by sharing a photo and a story from their own immediate surroundings.

The international competition – European Heritage Makers Week – was inspired by the concept employed in Finland since 2013, designed and offered to the Council of Europe and European Commission by the Finnish Local Heritage Federation, Association of Cultural Heritage Education in Finland, National Agency for Education, National Board of Antiquities and Ministry of the Environment. The concept encourages children and the young to observe, explore and analyse their immediate surroundings and, through this, to also participate and influence its development and cultural renewal.

Unlike in earlier years, they now participate with their own individual work. Of all the photos and stories sent the Finnish jury will select five most interesting ones to a final to compete for winning the whole European Heritage Makers competition. During the summer the international jury will select ten most inspiring photos and stories and invite their authors to a great cultural heritage feast in Strasbourg in the autumn!

Competition celebrates the European Year of Cultural Heritage and the Europe Day

The European Union has dedicated the year 2018 to European cultural heritage. During the year various stakeholders are invited to engage in projects and events across Europe. The objectives for the competition and the whole year combine European heritage with the local context. People are encouraged to learn about the diversity of European cultural heritage and reflect on what it means in their day-to-day living. What is the meaning of roots and cultural heritage as building blocks for the society, now and in future?

The competition ends on the Europe Day on 9 May – the day that celebrates peace and unity in Europe.

Competition is part of the European Heritage Days

The competition is part of the European Heritage Days organised in 50 countries on the initiative of the Council of Europe and European Commission. Each year more than 20 million people participate in the local events. The Finnish title for the event is European Cultural Heritage Days. The aim is to view the cultural environments and heritage as valuable resources and source of wellbeing. The main events take place in September all over Europe. In Finland we will celebrate the heritage days at hundreds of events on 3–9 September 2018 with the theme ‘Know your heritage, share your story’.

The social media identifiers for the events are #EHDs, #kulttuuriymparistöpäivät, #HeritageMakers

Inquiries
 

Liisa Lohtander, Finnish Local Heritage Federation, [email protected], tel. +358 45 1509 109

Hanna Lämsä, Association of Cultural Heritage Education in Finland, [email protected], tel. +358 40 1280 818

Hanna Hämäläinen, Ministry of the Environment, [email protected], tel. +358 295 250 095