The B-SHAPES project, a Horizon Europe initiative exploring how borders shape identity, culture, and belonging across Europe, has released a new practical report aimed at policymakers and heritage practitioners.
Inclusive Approaches to Heritage Management in Borderlands draws on research conducted across ten European borderlands to make the case for moving beyond nationally defined heritage frameworks toward cross-border, community-driven approaches. The report argues that borderland cultural landscapes are often more diverse and dynamic than those further from the border, and that this richness is an opportunity, not a complication.
At its core, the report offers concrete tools for putting inclusion into practice: policy recommendations covering everything from working across administrative scales to actively engaging minorities, youth, and women; a set of tested best-practice methods such as border walks, zine-making workshops, and oral history projects; and a step-by-step roadmap for developing an Inclusive Borderland Heritage Management Plan. The roadmap is built on three principles; place-based, resource-based, and participatory approaches, and is designed to be adapted to the specifics of any borderland context.
Read the whole report here.