Harnessing the Power of a Cultural Heritage – Communities – Education Relationship in Times of Crisis

Abstract: Cultural heritage has become widely acknowledged in European policies as a useful tool for providing benefits on both social and economic levels. We are beginning to explore a new transdisciplinary role for cultural heritage, capable of delivering advantages beyond the cultural sector. This convergence between the cultural sector and other sectors is promising since it provides innovative solutions to problems by combining knowledge and skills from various fields. In this contribution, we will consider the role of cultural heritage in the education sector. We recognize that cultural heritage and education are codependent; cultural heritage is crucial for the enhancement of the education sector, and conversely, education is vital for the safeguarding, awareness, and enjoyment of cultural heritage. For this reason, we notice the promotion of cultural heritage education and training in European and international policies. Today, the European education sector is subject to various challenges, one of which is the outdated education system. Another challenge is that inflicted by the pandemic, where the education system witnessed a disruption of its existing model. Therefore, this contribution will showcase good practices where cultural heritage has been appraised and acknowledged for overcoming the challenges of the education sector.