Youth involvement in the innovative valorisation and revival of traditional trades and crafts as cultural heritage to make urban regions more attractive and competitive in a dynamic age
“-I am proud of my son, he has a well-paying,rather stressful job in Zagreb, sad that we hardly see him.
- Well, mine has just received an attractive job-offer to return and use his managerial skills in the local visitor centre of olive production while training young craftsmen.”
Is it realistic to see success stories on attracting talented and innovative young people in local old trade and craft businesses?We might be optimistic if YouInHerit is implemented.Smartly valorised cultural heritage can potentially tackle both economic and social challenges locally.Reviving old trades and crafts can keep together communities and make them sustainable by contributing to their economic wellbeing:Old wine cellars in Hungary, salt pans or floating mills in Slovenia,breweries in Poland, old boats of Italy or olive groves in Croatia are essential for local attractiveness and could be better exploited as a source of living for people.
Regions of Centrope recovering from structural changes are confident that development models based on local cultural and economic assets necessitate smart valorisation schemes and an innovative approach of stakeholders. Involving creative and innovative young minds in redesigning local heritage is needed to help adapt to new demands and market expectations.Coordinating organisations responsible for valorisation strategies and related policies are to be empowered via adequate support and capacities, while the refill of old professions with younger generations should also be secured.
The multifaceted benefits of YouInHerit are shared by regions & the EU promoting cultural diversity and strong communities by enhancing local potentials of cultural heritage and human creativity.Therefore the motto of YouInHerit: „Culture is (therefore) one of Europe’s great hopes. The jobs that it generates cannot, as a rule, be relocated — they require a range of rare talents, and it is often our young people who display them."(M.Schulz,2014)