Leadership for Cultural Heritage Stewards in Challenging Circumstances

The course aims to expand the skills of emerging leaders working in the field of cultural heritage disaster preparedness and response. The approach emphasizes critical thinking and collaborative learning. It delivers content on communication, resource mobilization, and strategic planning.

SCRI and Cultural Emergency Response (CER) in the Netherlands collaborate to offer Leadership for Cultural Heritage Stewards in Challenging Circumstances providing participants the opportunity to develop their leadership skills alongside a cohort of heritage stewards facing similar challenges.

Although cultural heritage is vulnerable to natural and manmade threats, there are effective ways to mitigate this risk and prevent damage and destruction before it occurs. Leaders operating in areas where culture is under threat, face unique challenges that require balancing both heritage preservation and the needs of multiple stakeholders including, the community, funders, government officials, the military, and emergency managers.

The Leadership Program is an investment in people who guide heritage work in their local communities. It advances the strongest and most lasting impact of saving this legacy for future generations and increases resilience for the heritage sector. Participants spend time learning together, facilitated by a professor of Leadership Studies and an experienced international project development professional.

We build content around skills needed to implement the individual projects developed by each participant. Spotlight discussions with high level cultural heritage leaders bring classroom lessons to life and complement the coursework.

Participants engage in three integrated components:

• Examining the meaning and practice of leadership from different perspectives;
• Developing a framework for translating leadership into action through creation of a plan for a project of their own choice; and
• Applying organizational skills such as collaboration, proposal development, team building, networking, and how to engage partners.

Course conclusion becomes the gateway to a network of alumni trained in heritage rescue and other partners, as well as opportunities for virtual continuing education.

The Leadership Course was developed in 2018 by the Prince Claus Fund though Cultural Emergency Response and SCRI, in consultation with ICCROM.