The Netherlands: Outcome of the RCE’s brainstorm sessions on upcoming policy period

The Shared Cultural Heritage Programme of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE) has been looking together with its partners into avenues for collaboration for the upcoming policy period 2021-2024. In terms of cultural heritage, collaboration with countries which share a past with the Netherlands will be continued. In addition, there is also an opportunity for international heritage collaboration which is not directly related to shared heritage. The RCE shares this task with the National Archives of the Netherlands, DutchCulture, and the Dutch embassies in the partner countries responsible for implementing the International Cultural Policy of the Netherlands.  

Sharing insights and suggestions

In the first week of June, a four-day online brainstorming session took place to provide input for the RCE’s Shared Cultural Heritage Programme for the next policy period. These sessions concerned solely the RCE’s fulfilment of its tasks within the Dutch International Cultural Policy. The session was organised by the RCE and facilitated by the ErfgoedAcademie. Colleagues from current and future partner countries were invited to log on to an online forum to share their insights and suggestions on the following topics: Societal Challenges, Opportunities and Risks for the programme, and lessons learned from our altered working practices in response to the Covid-19 outbreak. The report can be found here on this webpage.

Follow-up session

On 23, 25 and 26 June, three themes that surfaced during the first round of brainstorming were discussed in greater depth during three live video meetings, each involving a different group of participants and covering a specific theme: Heritage and Sustainable Development Goals, Heritage and the Political-Historical Dimension, and Finding Common Ground. A report was written with a brief summary of the outcomes of each session. You can find the report on this webpage. The results of the brainstorm session and the discussions are of great value, since ideas and insights will be taken into consideration as the RCE draws up its Shared Cultural Heritage Programme Policy Plan for the period 2021-2024.