ICH DESKS AND THEIR ROLE IN THE REGIONS
PHOTO: RZESZOW REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
To support valorisation of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) projects, in ARTISTIC regions were set up 9 local Intangible Cultural Heritage Desks coordinated by selected experienced and trained Mediators, who in cooperation with the Local Working Groups of citizens, associations, stakeholders, entrepreneurs and cultural operators using ARTISTIC strategies and tools, assist ICH actors by offering them information, advice, and training activities on:
- identifying local ICH projects
- generating and implementing of new ICH initiatives
- protecting intellectual property rights
- improving communication skills
- developing documents to provide financial support for ICH initiatives
- obtaining financing for ICH initiatives
- strengthening cooperation with private investors.
The effectiveness of ICH Desks’ activities is based on individualization of provided assistance and on involvement of different local actors in offered support.
The great advantage of local ICH support points is that they base their actions on people - specialists from various industries who join forces to help cultural creators in the implementation of their projects. Thus, the foundation of the ICH desks functioning is engaging local actors, developing and strengthening of local networks, creating and animating of Local Working Group of experts and building communities around ICH initiatives – to inspire, support and help culture creators.
To ensure the continuation of the activities started in 8 regions of Central Europe and to inspire other regions and countries through the good practices of the ARTISTIC project, for each region has been developed the Local Action Plan to assure durability of Local Working Group operation. In addition to the Local Action Plan co-related Business Plans for all ICH Desks were developed, defining this way frames and conditions of their future work in certain regions in the perspective of short (one year), medium (three years) and long term (5 years).
Furthermore each ARTISTIC Project Partner and the members of the Local ICH Desks and the Local Working Group for ICH valorisation have signed the Memorandum of Understanding for all of ARTISTIC regions in order to build stable and lasting relationships among local actors and keep on sustaining and promoting ICH initiatives over time. Prepared Local Action Plans and Business Plans were base for development of the concept for ICH desk network implementation, to guide the application of ARTISTIC Strategy and Manifesto by other regions.
Instruments and services developed under the ARTISTIC project are not only useful for project partners’ regions but their universality and adaptability will allow the implementation of these solutions also in other territories.
All ARTISTIC results are available to be viewed and downloaded via the project website https://www.interreg-central.eu/Content.Node/ARTISTIC.html and the ENTRIBU platform https://www.entribu.eu/en.
