What is Heritage Day (Erfgoeddag)?

Heritage Day is first of all a celebration. In 2011 Heritage Day will reach its 11th anniversary. Its approach, public reach, innovative role, and – especially – the commitment of those involved, have made Heritage Day one of the most important heritage events in Flanders and Brussels. Heritage Day places cultural heritage in the spotlight for the sector itself, the public, the media, and policy makers in our country.

• Heritage Day wants everybody to interact with cultural heritage in his or her own daily environment in a contemporary, qualitative and meaningful manner. Every one of us can discover cultural heritage as something valuable and relevant.
• All initiatives are aimed at explaining cultural heritage in order to realise a change in the public perception of and approach to heritage.
• On the other hand, Heritage Day is also meant to encourage members across the sector to work together, to cultivate innovative impulses and to place the sector’s own activities in a contemporary perspective.
• In addition, Heritage Day wants to stimulate reflection on matters such as heritage education, improving accessibility to the public, and sustainability.
• Heritage Day focuses on the movable (objects) and the intangible (stories, traditional techniques and skills) and thus differs from the Open Monument Day, which concentrates on architecture and other immovable heritage.

Heritage Day is held annually on the first Sunday after the Easter Holidays, the next being on Sunday 1st of May 2011. Heritage Day is free of charge and can be visited between 10:00 and 18:00. Heritage Day is one of the biggest events for heritage in Flanders and this means that plans should be ambitious. Participation in the Heritage Day implies an extra and remarkable effort to make heritage accessible. ‘Opening the doors’ should be just a starting point and certainly not a final destination. Since 2006 a committee has guarded the quality of new initiatives and it advises potential participants if necessary. The criteria used by this committee are the general terms and conditions, which participants must accept at the time of application. The Heritage Day coordination team (Coördinatie Erfgoeddag) will always offer support in case of difficulties related to the planning and/or content of the initiatives and will also, where possible, try to respond to any questions or remarks from prospective participants. The fact that the coordination team operates within FARO, the Flemish interface centre for cultural heritage, guarantees good guidance for new participants. Each year Heritage Day is made possible by the museums, archives, churches (kerkfabrieken), documentation centres, collecting libraries, local heritage centres (erfgoedcellen) and organisations dedicated to folk culture, but also by cultural clubs, public libraries, youth organisations, academies/universities and other schools. Every year this results in a fantastic, rich and diverse selection of activities. Those who would like to take part in the Heritage Day should apply before 30th December 2010. Applications after this date cannot be accepted.

If you need more information, or if you would like advise on your application, don’t hesitate to contact us:

Coördinatie Erfgoeddag
p/a FARO. Flemish interface centre for cultural heritage
Priemstraat 51
BE-1000 Brussel
T. +32 2 213 10 81 | 82
F. +32 2 213 10 90
E. info [at] erfgoeddag [dot] be
W. www.erfgoeddag.be