We are delighted to share with you the first newsletter of EMPATHS, which is funded by the Erasmus+ programme.
As we know, heritage is no longer the exclusive domain of the expert, primarily for conservation purposes. Instead, people are playing an active role in creating, protecting and transforming heritage by making it part of their lives.
Empaths (Empowering landscapes with participatory approaches to heritage interpretation skills) is a new 30-month EU Erasmus+ project for IE that reflects this shift and, together with ongoing actions such as the Learning Landscapes initiative, will deepen our knowledge and approaches to value-based and people-centred heritage interpretation. Indeed, Empaths itself focuses on participatory meaning- making, involving heritage professionals and local communities.
After a period of research which is almost finished, the goal for the rest of 2025 and 2026 is to develop and test a new training programme to upskill heritage professionals with the participatory competencies they need to effectively engage communities in meaning-making processes related to their heritage.
IE is working with two other training and technical providers in Greece and Italy, each paired with piloting partners who will test the training course in their local areas with local heritage professionals and community representatives. These include an ethnological museum in NE Greece, an archaeological park near Naples and a Geopark on the Austrian/Slovenian border.
You can find out more about the project, the partners and the latest activities in this first newsletter, as well as a link to subscribe to receive future editions directly to your inbox.
