Copy
View this email in your browser
Welcome to the April newsletter!

This month's feature article encourages you to reflect on the secularisation and reuse of religious buildings, and what factors determine whether or not the new function is compatible with the characteristics of the building and its essence.

In our FRH & members' section, we highlight the results of our recent opinion poll which shows that 81% of Europeans believe that the preservation of Europe’s historic places of worship is key for their community’s present and future. 

We also invite you to check out our satellite event of the New European Bauhaus Festival, our latest FRH Talk with Tharik Hussain, a volunteering opportunity in the Monastery of La Oliva in Spain, the approved funding for a feasibility study at the Middle Street Synagogue in Brighton (UK), and register for the webinar launching a new toolbox on how to film crafts and living heritage.

The latest European news includes the award of the European Heritage Label to 7 new sites, the unveiling of the "7 most endangered" heritage sites in Europe, the call for entries for the ECTN Sustainable Cultural Tourism Awards 2024, and the launch of the State of Culture Barometer.


Last but not least, we invite you on a virtual tour of Tartu (Estonia), European Capital of Culture for 2024, in our Religiana section.

See you next month!


Jordi Mallarach
FRH Executive Officer
FEATURE ARTICLE
ADAPTATION OF HISTORICAL SACRED OBJECTS TO SECULAR FUNCTIONS ON THE EXAMPLE OF SELECTED WESTERN EUROPEAN PROJECTS WITH THE USE OF THE NARRATIVE METHOD, BY MARIA ARNO
In a context where more and more religious buildings are being reused for secular functions, architect, professor and researcher Maria Arno focuses on identifying good practices and recommendations on how to carry out this transition. The present article is only a brief introduction to the extensive research reflected in her recently published thesis, which delves into which reuses of sacred sites are acceptable, taking into account respect for the essence of the building, its state of preservation, its historical, cultural and sacred value, and finally the possibility of a future resacralisation. READ MORE >>
FRH & MEMBER NEWS
LAST DAYS TO SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT FOR THE FRH CONFERENCE IN KRAKOW (DEADLINE: 3 MAY AT NOON)
The clock is ticking to participate in the call for papers for our next conference "Religious Heritage in Transition: Challenges and Solutions" in Krakow (22-24 September). If you are a researcher, cultural heritage practitioner or visionary and would like to share your knowledge on one of the sub-themes of this edition of the conference, we encourage you to submit your abstract by Friday 3 May at 12 noon. READ MORE>>
NEW OPINION POLL COMMISSIONED BY FRH SHOWS THAT EUROPEAN CITIZENS SUPPORT RELIGIOUS HERITAGE 
A new opinion poll announced on 3 September by FRH shows that 81% of European citizens believe that the preservation of Europe’s historic places of worship is key for their community’s present and future. The opinion poll was commissioned by Future for Religious Heritage and conducted by Savanta among 8,000 Europeans in France, Germany, Greece, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Respondents were also asked about other questions such as the place of religious heritage in their country’s cultural heritage, why it is important for their community and the possibility of extending the use of religious buildings beyond their religious function. READ MORE>>
FRH CONFERENCE 2024: PROGRAMME AND SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED 
As the date for the conference gets closer, we are finalising the details to offer you once again a perfect chance to network, learn and exchange in our two-day conference, which this year will be held in Krakow, Poland, from 22 - 24 September. You can already have a look at the programme and speakers. Registrations will open shortly, so stay tuned! READ MORE >>
FRH AT THE 11TH MEETING OF THE EU COMMISSION'S EXPERT GROUP ON CULTURAL HERITAGE 
The 11th meeting of the European Commission's Expert Group on Cultural Heritage took place on 9 and 10 April in Brussels. These meetings gather national heritage experts from the EU member states with civil society organisations, providing a platform to inform the first ones about important initiatives taking place in the sector. As a member of the expert group, FRH took the opportunity to present the results of our latest opinion poll and the first findings of the recent survey on heritage crafts conducted in collaboration with Mad'in Europe.
VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITY AT THE CISTERCIAN MONASTERY OF LA OLIVA (APPLICATIONS UNTIL 25 MAY)
The Spanish association Patrimonio para Jóvenes offers the opportunity to volunteer for 1 week at the Cistercian Monastery of La Oliva, in the region of Navarra, to share time with other people and with the religious community while helping them with basic tasks such as cleaning, gardening or tidying up the storerooms. This organisation was a finalist of the FRH Innovator of the Year award for its youth project "Monasteries: Past, Present and Future". Volunteering is open to young people under the age of 30, with a good command of Spanish and a desire to connect with other young people and the community of monks in this inhabited monastery. READ MORE>>
THE RECORDING OF OUR NEB FESTIVAL SATELLITE EVENT IS NOW AVAILABLE
If you missed the event or if you want to view it again, you can do so in our YouTube channel. If you would like to receive the slides of the speakers, please get in touch with our team at members@frh-europe.org  GO TO YOUTUBE >>
WATCH OUR FRH TALK WITH ON ISLAMIC HERITAGE THARIK HUSSAIN
The latest session of our FRH Talks focused on the 1,400 years of Islam's presence in Europe and its contributions to art, culture, architecture and religious heritage. The recording is now available on YouTube. READ MORE >>
NEW TOOLBOX ON HOW TO DOCUMENT CRAFTERSHIP AND LIVING HERITAGE TO BE REVEALED AT THE WEBINAR "FOCUS CRAFTERSHIP" (28 MAY 2024)
FRH member PARCUM invites you to join the international webinar 'Focus Craftership’ and get to know the new 'filminglivingheritage.org' Toolbox and Methodology for filming and documenting craftership, know-how, skills and other living heritage on the 28 of May from 14:00 - 16:00 CEST. The toolbox will be available in Dutch and English. Register now! READ MORE>>
FOUNDATION FOR JEWISH HERITAGE ANNOUNCES APPROVAL OF FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR MIDDLE STREET SYNAGOGUE (BRIGHTON, UK) WITH £40,000 FUNDING
In a major development to safeguard the future of the striking Middle Street synagogue in Brighton’s city centre, three leading heritage funding bodies (the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Architectural Heritage Fund and the Pilgrim Trust) have agreed to contribute £40,000 to support a Feasibility Study which will aim to identify a viable future use for the currently closed building.  READ MORE>>
BECOME A MEMBER
MEMBERS ONLY
EVENTS

THIS SECTION IS FOR MEMBERS ONLY. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A MEMBER, MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE. 
READ MORE >> 

FRH EVENTS
>24 May 2024 - F2F meeting from Turkey. More information >>
>22-24 September 2024 - FRH Conference in Krakow, Poland. More information >>

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT UPCOMING EVENTS?
MORE EVENTS>> 
EU NEWS
SEVEN NEW SITES RECEIVE THE EUROPEAN HERITAGE LABEL ACROSS EUROPE
The European Commission awarded in April the European Heritage Label, a distinction offered to heritage sites playing a significant role in Europe's history, culture, and the development of the Union, to seven new sites. These additions bring the total number of European Heritage sites to 67. Three of the latest awarded projects are related to religious heritage: Cistercian Landscapes Connecting Europe (Austria, Czechia, Germany, Poland, Slovenia), The Monastery of San Jerónimo de Yuste (Spain), and Our Lord in the Attic Museum (The Netherlands).  READ MORE >>
ECTN SUSTAINABLE CULTURAL TOURISM  AWARDS 2024 (DEADLINE: 1 JUNE)
The European Cultural Tourism Network (ECTN), has announced the launch of the 7th Destination of Sustainable Cultural Tourism Awards, launched in collaboration with Europa Nostra, the European Travel Commission (ETC), the Network of European Regions for Competitive and Sustainable Tourism (NECSTouR). The award is open to national, regional and local authorities, tourism boards and associations, destination management organisations, museums, interpretation centres, cultural routes, festivals and cultural NGOs. The deadline for applications is 1 June 2024. READ MORE >>
LAUNCH OF THE 'STATE OF CULTURE BAROMETER' SURVEY
As part of the State of Culture research project, Culture Action Europe is launching the State of Culture Barometer survey. The aim of the ‘State of Culture in Europe’ project is to offer a comprehensive understanding of cultural policies across the continent. We’re diving into the evolution of EU cultural actions, exploring the priorities of policymakers, and identifying new directions for advocacy and policy. The deadline to complete the survey is set by midnight CEST on 18 May 2024. The findings will be published in the State of Culture 2024 Report in autumn.
 READ MORE >>
MEET THE SEVEN MOST ENDANGERED EUROPEAN HERITAGE SITES OF 2024
The list of the 7 Most Endangered monuments and heritage sites in Europe for 2024 was announced on 17 April by Europa Nostra and the European Investment Bank Institute. Among the heritage sites considered at risk are the Church of San Pietro in Gessate, Milan (Italy), the Synagogue of Siena (Italy) and the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Georgios, Altınözü (Turkey). The latter was heavily affected by the earthquake of February 2023. The selection of the 7 sites was made on the basis of the heritage significance and cultural value of each of the sites, as well as the serious danger that they are facing today. READ MORE >>
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2025 EDITION (DEADLINE: 15 SEPTEMBER 2024)
The 2025 edition of the 7 Most Endangered Programme invites nominations of heritage endangered by current or projected climate change hazards, as well as from conflict and post-conflict environments.  Nominations of heritage endangered by slow onset events (sea level rise, changing seasonality) and rapid onset events (wildfires, extreme flooding) are welcomed. If you know of important cultural heritage endangered in Europe, nominate it for the 7 Most Endangered programme 2025. FRH can support you with the application. READ MORE >>
THIS MONTH ON RELIGIANA

Religious heritage of Tartu (Estonia), European Capital of Culture for 2024

Tartu is Estonia's second-largest city and has been home to the country's most prestigious university since the 17th century. As a student city, cultural offerings abound in Tartu and will reach their peak after being designated one of three European Capitals of Culture for 2024. In this list, we've compiled the most interesting sacred places to visit in and around the old town.
 
GO TO RELIGIANA
FRH is an independent, non-faith, not-for-profit organisation working to promote religious heritage buildings and their contents across Europe. It currently has more than 80 full members and 120 associate members from over 35 countries.
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Website
YouTube
Email
Copyright © 2024 Future for Religious Heritage, All rights reserved.

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.