New Directions for Participation in Cultural Heritage

The International Conference New Directions for Participation in Cultural Heritage is conceived by Laura Barreca and organized by the Accademia di Belle Arti di Catania.

The conference addresses issues surrounding new approaches and design methods that promote a participatory vision of cultural heritage. Starting from the Faro Convention on the rights and responsibilities of citizens toward cultural heritage, and through the involvement of interdisciplinary fields, the conference aims to explore key topics such as co-design and the redefinition of new models of heritage care. Through case studies, practices, and accredited research at both national and European levels, these discussions contribute to a broader, more horizontal, and democratic vision.

At the core of these new forms of heritage construction, participatory practices are based on the principle of interconnection. As the British critic Claire Bishop states, “the hope is that participants, once emancipated, will find themselves capable of determining their own social and political reality” (Participation, 2006).

Among the themes addressed are the activation of heritage, and future strategies for the internationalization of artistic research, particularly through the creation of inter-institutional hubs.