Connecting Cultural Heritage

Join an international peer and collaborative learning programme for people involved in protecting cultural heritage.

Read about the programme in:

CPF-Funded Western Sudan Community Museums Project © Yoohoo Media

Connecting Cultural Heritage

Through a series of online sessions over 11 months, the programme brings together 30 individuals to learn from and support each other, focusing on what works (and what doesn’t) in Cultural Heritage Protection.

Connecting Cultural Heritage is designed to enable everyone to share your experiences: what you have learned, your practice, your challenges and good ideas. The ultimate aim is to support you in your future work by increasing your confidence, knowledge and support networks.

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Cushion Embroidery Workshop © Yemeni Education and Relief Organisation (YERO)

How will it work?

Connecting Cultural Heritage was designed in collaboration with a range of practitioners and organisations working in cultural heritage protection from Middle East, North Africa, East Africa and South Asia. It is made up of three 8-week cycles, each with a different focus related to cultural heritage protection:

First, we will explore your practices as specialists in cultural heritage protection. Potential themes: supporting indigenous and traditional practice, making meaning, sustainable development, and addressing climate change.
In the second cycle, we will move on to a range of management challenges. Potential themes: evaluation and learning, funding, digitisation, archiving and documentation, and managing diversity.
In the last cycle, we'll think about advocacy and making a case for our work.

Potential themes: partnerships and coalitions, cultural relations, talking to policy makers, and making the case for cultural heritage.

During each cycle there will be an introduction session, followed by thematic small group sessions, and we will finish with a summary session. After each cycle, we will have time to reflect on the programme and share learnings. As a participant, you will be able to propose and choose issues and subjects for exploration in each cycle.

WW Programme (2).png

	July 2023 – May 2024
	Approximately 35 hours of online sessions in total, with some offline work
	Programme sessions will be delivered via Zoom. There will also be an online channel to communicate with other participants and the delivery team.
	The programme will be conducted in English, however support is available for a limited number of languages.
	You will be paid £1200 for your involvement, paid in two instalments, the first at the start of the programme and the second upon successful completion of the programme.

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CPF-Funded Sudan Museums project © ICCROM - WCSM - NCAM

Who is it for?

Participants

Connecting Cultural Heritage is designed for people who have:

An active involvement in cultural heritage protection.
A role such as community leader/organiser, cultural heritage practitioner, project lead/manager

Experience of working in cultural heritage protection in one of the eligible countries:

Middle East & North Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen
East Africa: Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
South Asia: Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan

A commitment to sharing, and learning ‘What Works in Cultural Heritage Protection’ with international peers

An ability to participate virtually (access to internet and Zoom during group sessions and information-sharing platforms in between sessions)
Some working knowledge of speaking English

Participation in the programme is by application. Participants will be selected on the basis of their suitability for the programme and to achieve a good balance of skills, experience, and interests in the group.

We recognise there is a cost to taking part in professional development and we therefore offer a small, set “participation fee” to all participants to support equality of access.

Expectations

If you are selected to participate in this programme, we will expect you to:

Be committed to this programme and to being an active part of the cohort.
Be ready to talk about your own experiences of cultural heritage protection and listen to those of others.
Adhere to principles of peer-learning, including being open, honest, and respectful of the efforts and context of peers.
Be curious about your learning, and about what you can learn from others.

Consider how you can share learnings and outcomes with your community or organisations and networks beyond the programme.
Take responsibility for your own learning. We will invite you to identify a particular area for enquiry and to keep track of this during the programme through an individual “learning log” or diary.
Take part in all full-group sessions and at least three small group sessions during each cycle.
Reflect and provide feedback on your experience throughout the programme for evaluation purposes.

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CPF-Funded Syrian Stonemasonry project stone masonry training © World Monuments Fund

How do I apply?

To apply, please complete this application form.

If you fit the applicant profile, outlined above please answer the application questions with as much detail as you can provide within the given word limit. You don’t have to use the full word limit or give us lots of detail about specific projects but it is helpful to give us a good understanding of the range of your interests and experience in cultural heritage protection.

Submitting your application

Once your application is fully complete, please ensure that you click the ‘Submit’ button to apply. An email will be sent to you confirming your submission.

Please ensure that your application has been submitted before the deadline of 19 June 2023 at 9:00 BST, as your application will not be considered if it is submitted past the deadline.

Selection Process

Using a transparent assessment process, the final selection of programme participants will be based on the following criteria:

How well you match the intended profile (see Who is it for above)
Your interest in connecting with others and contributing to ‘what works’ for cultural heritage protection
The relevance of your interests and experience to the programme and its aims
Achieving a good mix of skills, interests, and professional experience (including length and type of experience, whether you have worked in heritage within a community setting or within a heritage organisation)
Achieving a mix of lived experience, gender, and geographical spread across the eligible countries

The programme will be conducted in English, however we will be able to provide some translated materials and offer some interpretation support during sessions for a limited number of languages.

Applications will shortlisted based on the selection criteria as above. Final decisions will be made by a panel, taking into account factors such as balance of skills, experience, and interests in cultural heritage protection.

You will be contacted by email regarding the outcome of your application by 26 June 2023. If selected, you will be asked to sign a Learning Agreement that outlines your role, responsibility, and commitment to the programme.

Questions and More Information

If you have any questions about the programme or the application process, please email caitlin.wagner@theaudienceagency.org.

If you would like to know more about the programme and speak to one of our partners in your region, please email the relevant partner:

Middle East & North Africa: Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafy

East Africa: Bayimba Foundation
South Asia: Asia-Europe Foundation

We are holding a short briefing session about the programme on 08 June at 9am BST during which we can also answer any questions you may have. The briefing session will be held in English. Attendance is optional, and notes from the session will be shared on this page following the event. Please register your attendance and receive a link to the session here.

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Who is running it?

Connecting Cultural Heritage is being delivered by The Audience Agency, Bayimba, Asia-Europe Foundation and Culture Resource as part of the British Council Cultural Protection Fund’s What Works programme.

Connecting Cultural Heritage was commissioned by the British Council as part of the work of the Cultural Protection Fund to help develop the confidence, knowledge and networks of practitioners. This programme will also help to inform learning and best practice for the British Council’s approach to peer and collaborative learning.

The Cultural Protection Fund (CPF) is led by the British Council in partnership with the UK Government Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The overarching objective of the fund is to help create sustainable opportunities for social and economic development through building capacity to foster, safeguard and promote cultural heritage. The CPF awards funding to projects which keep cultural heritage sites and objects safe, as well as supporting the recording, conservation and restoration of cultural heritage. It also provides opportunities to local communities for training and education, enabling and empowering them in the long term to value, care for and benefit from their cultural heritage. Since 2016 the Cultural Protection Fund has awarded over £35m to 112 projects across 16 countries.

Connecting Cultural Heritage is part of The Cultural Protection Fund’s ‘What Works’ Programme, which aims to support better outcomes for cultural heritage protection and local communities by bringing the best available evidence to practitioners and other decision makers across the international heritage protection sector. By sharing informed research, decision-making approaches, best practices, and lessons learnt, it aims to promote further collaboration, contributing to more coordinated impact across the cultural heritage protection and development sectors. The What Works Approach is centered around improved access to high quality usable evidence in cultural heritage protection; increased motivation to use evidence; improved capability to use evidence well and increased opportunities to use evidence in decision-making.

Learn more about the partners by clicking the logos below: