Place

PLACE – People Living Arts through Community-based Empowerment and experiences

Programme: Creative Europe – European Cooperation Projects (CREA-CULT-2025-COOP-2)
Period: 1 April 2026 – 30 September 2029
Total budget: € 1,428,659.87
Role of Venetian Cluster: Project Partner

The project

PLACE – People Living Arts through Community-based Empowerment and experiences aims to develop and co-create a new, sustainable and strongly place-based model for the safeguarding and enhancement of Biocultural Heritage (BCH).

The project is based on the recognition that Biocultural Heritage represents a strategic resource for the revitalisation of European rural areas, contributing to social cohesion, environmental resilience and cultural innovation.

At the heart of the PLACE approach are ecomuseums, understood as heritage institutions closely connected to local communities, knowledge, traditional practices and landscapes. The project aims to strengthen their role as tools for inclusive participation, sustainable development and the enhancement of local talent.

Three European pilot territories

PLACE activities focus on three pilot areas:

• Bergamo, Italy
• Dobrich, Bulgaria
• Messinia, Greece

In the three territories, Biocultural Heritage assets will be mapped alongside an analysis of international good practices related to ecomuseums.

Each pilot area will also be involved in the development of a sustainable business plan, designed to strengthen the long-term economic sustainability of the initiatives and models developed by the project.

From knowledge to experimentation

A key element of PLACE will be the exchange of experiences between different European territories.

A study visit to Museumssenteret i Hordaland, Norway, recognised as a significant example of participatory heritage management, will contribute to the research phase and to identifying effective strategies for strengthening the role of ecomuseums.

The knowledge gathered will contribute to the development of a new model capable of integrating:

• the conservation and enhancement of Biocultural Heritage;
• community participation;
• the involvement of creative talent;
• economic sustainability;
• innovation in ecomuseum management and storytelling.

Training, mobility and creativity

PLACE also includes a range of activities dedicated to cultural professionals, young talents and stakeholders active in the pilot territories.

The main planned activities include:

• training and mobility programmes for cultural professionals;
• creative residencies for young talents;
• live testing activities and events;
• the development of new tools for ecomuseum storytelling and management;
• knowledge-transfer workshops;
• capacity-building and dissemination activities.

The objective is to transform ecomuseums into genuine participatory cultural hubs capable of connecting people, places, landscapes, practices and knowledge.

A replicable model at European level

The final phase of the project will focus on the capitalisation and dissemination of results.

Through workshops, capacity-building sessions and dissemination activities, PLACE will encourage the adoption of its methodology beyond the pilot territories, contributing to the development of replicable models for the enhancement of Biocultural Heritage in European rural areas.

The partnership

PLACE involves 20 organisations, including project partners and associated partners from different European countries. The partnership includes 3 territorial partners, 5 knowledge providers and 12 associated partners, bringing together public administrations, organisations specialised in heritage management and interpretation, ecomuseums and institutions committed to the dissemination and replication of the PLACE approach.

The project partners are:

• Province of Bergamo – Italy, Coordinator
• KOAN Consulting SL – Spain
• Center for Heritage Interpretation – Bulgaria
• Union of Bulgarian Black Sea Local Authorities – Bulgaria
• Perifereia Peloponnisou – Greece
• Museumssenteret i Hordaland – Norway
• Venetian Cluster SRL – Italy
• SUD CONCEPT – France

The project is also supported by 12 associated partners from Greece, Norway, Bulgaria, France, Spain and Italy.

Key themes

Cultural Heritage | Landscape Heritage | Ecomuseums | Biocultural Heritage | Rural Communities | Intangible Culture | Sustainable Cultural Tourism | Innovation | Community Empowerment | Digital Arts