This question can best be resolved by connecting the academic world of critical heritage studies, with that of governance studies and heritage (policy) practice. Current and future heritage professionals will need new kinds of knowledge and skills to work in co-creative heritage governance arenas. Yet there is no consensus on what this training should entail and what educational activities and materials could provide support. The Academic Living Lab CoChaCo intends to interconnect these academic and practical spheres by establishing a co-creative lab for the training of participatory heritage planning professionals. By engaging citizens, students, public and private sector heritage experts, educators and academics, CoCHaCo will foster a co-creative process of developing new approaches to collaborative heritage governance, resulting in enhanced capacities of all participants and educational material for courses in Dutch higher education.
COnfronting the CHAllenge of CO-creation: Towards a collaborative governance of heritage
It is crucial for governments to actively involve citizens in their decision-making processes. This is especially true for cultural heritage. However obvious as this may seem, in practice it turns out to be more complicated as collaborative decision-making is very difficult to organize. Additionally, the heritage sector has long been the exclusive domain of experts. This raises the question of how to shape collaborative heritage governance.