Organizers:
Abstract:
The democratisation of access to cultural heritage implies the existence of a variety of initiatives—governmental, regional, communal, independent, formal, informal—that aim at promoting social inclusion and/or demoting social exclusion. However, it is usually the case that cultural heritage studies do not necessarily include the transformation of critical theoretical approaches for social inclusion, or the critique to heritage programmes into actual heritage interventions. It is also frequent to find multidirectional "transfer" gaps between those who conduct research, those who make policies, those who implement the programmes, and those who participate from these programmes.
As a means to bridge the existing transfer gaps, this session seeks to reunite different experiences on the subject, either as researchers, policy makers, executors or participants (although this divide may not exist) of socially inclusive/anti-exclusion heritage initiatives. Discrimination based on social class, gender, skin colour, ethnicity and/or nationality, among others, requires to be fought from different fronts; cultural heritage, in its multiplicity of forms, may be a positive force in creating spaces, discourses and practices that promote diversity-based social inclusion and respect. Therefore, the questions posed in this arena are:
• What makes an initiative of this sort successful? And unsuccessful?
• What do these initiatives have in common?
• What can be learned from them?
• What differs them from traditional heritage interventions?
All types of heritage experiences worldwide are welcome. Being tangible or intangible, governmental or non-governmental, as long as they are aimed at making cultural heritage accessible and/or liveable for traditionally marginalised social groups.
