IHBC officers were hosted as contributors to the conclusion of a EU-funded project ‘Celebrating European Cultural Intangible Heritage for Social Inclusion and Active Citizenship’ (CECHI) in Banffy Castle, Cluj, Romania, on 19 September, an event marked also by the foundation of a rejuvenated network, FEMP – Federation Européenne pour les Métiers du Patrimoine – led by the project partners: Union Rempart, France; Institut du Patrimoine Wallon, Brussels, and project leaders the Transylvania Trust, Romania.
Among the invited delegates and UK contributors to the round table discussions were IHBC President, David McDonald and IHBC Director, Seán O’Reilly. They joined other UK guests: architect Andrew Shepherd, IHBC member and a long-standing contributor in the courses at Banffy, for the SPAB; Bob Kindred MBE, private consultant and, inter alia, IHBC’s Education Vice Chair, as well as Lucy Hockley, of the Weald and Downland. The programme was organised and led by IHBC member David Baxter, Director of Built Heritage Conservation Training Centre (BHCT) at Banffy and Co-ordinator of the CECHI project that funded this free event.
Following the conference and launch, David McDonald said: ‘It was a great privilege to be welcomed, hosted and offered these excellent learning and networking opportunities funded within a European project developed by the Transylvania Trust and its partners, especially when the issue of built heritage traditions is so central to our member interests.’
‘The project itself, ‘CECIH’ – ‘Celebrating European Cultural Intangible Heritage for Social Inclusion and Active Citizenship’ – tied together the diverse and rich benefits that arise when we work together to conserve the built and historic environment. Registering those benefits at European level – and with European funding – across the three partner countries is clearly a huge achievement.’
‘The additional benefit, attending the launch of the renewed FEMP, a revived European network partnership supported by Council of Europe funding, made the programme especially relevant to the IHBC’s current and future plans.’
IHBC Director Sean O’Reilly said: ‘These initiatives fit very well with our members’ aspirations to learn, shape and advise on conservation issues from the most informed of foundations. Looking beyond the borders of the UK – and to countries without the heritage infrastructure we have enjoyed until so very recently – will help us better prepare for and respond to the kind of radical re-structuring that are members have, and probably will continue, to face.’
‘The added benefit is that this experience allows the institute to inform other countries of our own standards, practices and infrastructure. That way we can share our learning and hopefully do our jobs better, whatever the threats and cuts our sector and members face’.
The Transylvania Trust writes:
On 19-20th of September 2015 at Bánffy Castle in Bontida (Cluj County, Romania) an international conference dedicated to ‘Celebrating European Cultural Intangible Heritage for Social Inclusion and Active Citizenship’ was held, supported by the European Union.
The programme of the conference includes the presentation and promotion of the results of the partners (Transylvania Trust, RO, Institut du Patrimoine Wallon, BE and Union Rempart, FR), a roundtable-discussion on the heritage crafts skills with the involvement of specialists from UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Romania and a field trip study at Rimetea… The organisers cover the accommodation, catering and transport of the participants in the order of the registrations.
