Around the world in 19 pitches – Ruritage’s impact on its Role Models and Replicators

In early June, Ruritage’s Role Models and Replicators pitched their final progress to a rapt audience at the project’s final conference in Paris.

After four years of dreaming up and implementing heritage-led regeneration strategies, Ruritage’s Role Models and Replicators enthusiastically summarized their progress made so far. The result was an excellent overview of their achievements, and a moment of deep inspiration for harnessing the potential of cultural and natural heritage everywhere.

The pitches gave participants a whirlwind tour of local Ruritage actions: To start, accounts of rich tradition, dancing, music and weaving flowed from the Wild Atlantic Way, who were especially proud to have created the first-ever certified weaving course in Ireland. Through this work, the craft will survive into future generations. Meanwhile, in earthquake-prone Appignano del Tronto, a new hub for resilience, science and communication is one exciting aspect of local efforts to build a more sustainable and resilient community. At the same time, local engagement was the star player in Psiloritis UNESCO Geopark, where local workshops, study visits, and circular economy education programmes, among others, helped to strengthen local pride.

“If you work together with your local communities you can always learn something new.” - Psiloritis UNESCO Geopark

In the Karavanke/Karawanken UNESCO Geopark, a local school was transformed into a Ruritage hub, St. Rosalia cave (with its healing spring water) was reopened and made accessible, and cross-border hiking tours stitched together natural and cultural wonders. Walking over to the Camino de Santiago, Ruritage helped partners to see even more clearly that their route is more than a line to follow towards a destination. They have created a values chart featuring principles like emotional adventure, vital experience, and solidarity, which guides pilgrims along the route.

In the Douro Cultural Landscape, maps of challenges and resources and stakeholder collaborations follow the river’s path. Things have taken a sweet turn in Magma UNESCO Geopark, where over 300 locals have created a regeneration action plan with fruit production in the spotlight. Meanwhile, Visegrád’s medieval festival is thriving in part thanks to its Ruritage hub. And in Apulia, they are re-defining culture in rural areas by demonstrating ‘relationships per hectare’ instead of ‘production’.

“Ruritage helped us go beyond and experiment with a new paradigm in our realities.” - D.A.Re., Apulia, Italy

Negova’s Castle has come to life with bike sharing, herb days, and the well-known cultural Festival of Love. Lesvos Island UNESCO Geopark also held many events, in their case using their geological heritage as a way to connect people and build a migrant-inclusive society. Asti also fostered such inclusion through their Trattoria, which produces local sustainable food in a migrant center. In Izmir, Ruritage was a great opportunity to get into the communities to discuss heritage values, resulting in a map of cultural and musical heritage and creation of a local brand to market products.

“We know the region better, the people better, we know what we can achieve in the region and look forward to the process beyond ruritage in our territory” - Izmir

Bergstraße-Odenwald UNESCO Geopark, too, discovered more gems in their region than they previously knew, and was busy creating informative card games, and hosting exhibitions with guest refugee nature photographers. In the Austrått and Ørland landscape, farmers re-introduced historical fruit species and pilgrim routes were revived, even during the course of COVID. Old travel paths were similarly revived through Katla UNESCO Geopark’s engagement of elders, which was accompanied by fun scavenger hunts for younger people. The Via Mariae Pilgrimage Route now has two successful heritage hubs for local events, art, and accommodation. In the Cultural Coffee Landscape in Salento and Palestina, tours, seminars and workshops have been held to pass down coffee production culture to future generations. Finally, Take Art in Somerset have told local food stories through art, enlivened farmers markets, and delivered food and poetry to people’s homes during the pandemic.

Although the project is coming to a close, there are already clear plans for the future. Ruritage’s partners are confident that the work and collaborations will continue, all working towards a world in which cultural and natural heritage are harnessed for regeneration, and embraced as crucial parts of a sustainable future.