Hello From Our European Heritage Youth Ambassadors!
At the beginning of the year, Europa Nostra announced the commencemnet of their European Heritage Youth Ambassadors Programme in partnership with the European Students’ Association for Cultural Heritage (ESACH) and the European Heritage Tribune. There are currently 11 Amabassadors from 13 countries across Europe, with two representatives for the UK. The programme is an opportunity to empower youth to share their perspectives and to help promote the green and digital transformations taking place in our society. By giving a voice to the youth of Europe and beyond, the programme seeks to encourage intergenerational exchange and capacity building. To learn more about the two wonderful representatives for the UK, please keep reading. To learn more about the other Ambassadors, please click here.
Introducing: Anna Angelica Ainio
My name is Anna Angelica, and I am part of the European Heritage Youth Ambassador program. I was born in Milan, and I came to London to study History of Art, Conservation and Criticism at University College London (UCL). I am particularly interested in the intersections between art and politics and how conceptions of citizenship are shaped by cultural heritage. I have always been eager for opportunities to expand my knowledge in the cultural sector and take part in heritage-focused initiatives. Indeed, in Italy, I have been for eight years a member and volunteer of FAI (Italian National Trust) and Touring Club Italiano. In the UK, I took part each year since 2018 as a volunteer for the National Trust Heritage Open Days. Moreover, at UCL, I have
organized multiple events focused on Heritage
through the Art Society, Film and TV Society and the United Nations Association.
I was drawn to the European Heritage Youth Ambassador program through Europa Nostra for its explicit focus on heritage as a catalyst for the promotion of a self-conscious concept of citizenship based on heritage preservation. I am now deeply enthusiastic about the initiative, both for the amazing Ambassadors team and for the richness of initiatives and ideas that are concretely taking shape. I aim to continue contributing to the Ambassador initiative through Europa Nostra UK by promoting cultural related initiatives through social media and student networks. Moreover, I aim to act as a bridge between Italy and the United Kingdom’s cultural organizations to foster a new perspective of collaboration between these two countries and more generally, between the UK and the European Union, based on our shared – and rich! - cultural heritage.
Introducing: Hana Kohout
Hello dear readers and the community of Europa Nostra UK, my name is Hana Kohout and I am one of the European Youth Heritage Ambassador for Europa Nostra, ESACH and European Heritage Tribune. This incredible initiative and programme started in January 2021, and since then all of the ambassadors from different European countries have been engaging in promoting a diverse cultural heritage though Europe and beyond, staying up to date with relevant heritage news and collaborating together on important cultural events. My interest in the arts and cultural heritage started at a young age and I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the cultural field. I recently graduated from Birmingham City University with a master’s degree in Arts and Project Management and gained valuable insight into the creative industry and acquired knowledge in project management and marketing within the arts. Also trained as an art historian, curator, researcher and writer, I focus on modern and contemporary art in relation to women artists and the notion of voice. As I am also keen on preserving and caring for cultural heritage, this European Youth Heritage Ambassador programme has allowed me to be more engaged with young people who value it as much as I do. It has allowed me to share my voice and take part in an initiative that wants to allow the younger generation to make an impact and have their voices heard. This element of active youth engagement is what drew me to this programme and ever since it has started, I have learned so much from other cultures and connected with many like-minded people. I have discovered many possibilities and how I can impact this field with my own voice. I am particularly keen on topic such as sustainability and how cultural heritage fits into the sphere of that and what is there to be done so that cultural heritage can also give its contribution to this cause. I am also interested in learning more about the digital and technological improvements and how that can be of service to cultural heritage, to promote it better and be more accessible.
With this programme I hope that we as a collective youth group will leave our mark and voices, no matter how big or small and will continue on with learning and engagement with cultural heritage.
Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn and check out my website by clicking here.
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Want to find out what else Europa Nostra have been doing to support young voices in cultural heritage? Check out the following news articles & webpages:
Internships with Europa Nostra
