Training

Training Seminar on the

"Cultural Route of the Council of Europe" certification

for EPA member States

Vilnius, Lithuania, 19-20 June 2024

Organised in the framework of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe Presidency of Lithuania, this 2-days training seminar intended to offer a comprehensive overview of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme to local stakeholders in Lithuania.

Through the participation of experienced training specialists in the fields of cultural routes, cultural heritage and tourism as well as representatives of certified Cultural Routes, the seminar provided the opportunity to build and strengthen professional capacities for the effective design, implementation and management of cultural routes in line with the guidelines established by the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme.

The seminar also aimed to enhance member States capacity in supporting the Cultural Routes programme by providing effective tools and resources for identifying, supporting, and extending certified cultural route networks across Lithuania.

OBJECTIVES

This training seminar provided an overview of the main characteristics of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme, serving as an essential reference for managers, stakeholders and representatives of member States interested in the development of cultural routes. It addressed aspects ranging from the Council of Europe’s conventions to co-creation, fundraising and governance of Cultural Routes with a view to certification as “Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe”.

The aim of the seminar was to build and strengthen professional capacities for the effective design, implementation and management of cultural routes in line with the guidelines established by the Cultural Route of the Council of Europe programme.

The seminar was likewise oriented to strengthening member States capacity to underpin the Cultural Routes programme, by providing effective tools and resources to identify and support cultural routes projects crossing the country and to promote the extension of certified cultural routes’ networks.

EXPECTED RESULTS

At the end of the seminar, participants were expected to:

Acquisition of a conceptual and theoretical basis on the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme.
Strengthened knowledge of tools and methodologies for the conception, implementation and management of Cultural Routes.
Strengthened ability to develop and maintain collaborative relationships with national and international stakeholders in order to support the development of transnational cultural routes.
Collaboration, debate and exchange of experiences, challenges and practices among participants and trainers.
Identification of challenges and opportunities for the development of new Cultural Routes and the extension of certified Routes in the country.

METHODOLOGY

The seminar will be delivered by representatives of the Secretariat of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme and will count the participation of by experienced training specialists in the fields of cultural routes, cultural heritage and tourism as well as representatives of certified Cultural Routes.

The event is oriented to the practical application of insights from theory and analysis, covering key theoretical principles in an accessible way and illustrating how the cultural routes methodology is applied in practice. Reference will be made to successful stories and good practices implemented by certified Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe.

Participants will apply lessons learnt during the seminar and discuss the current state of development of Cultural Routes in their country in order to identify challenges and opportunities for the further implementation of the programme at the national level.

The training is intended to be highly participative, encouraging discussions and providing opportunities for interactions among all participants.