Abstract:

Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) is any practice, representation, expression, knowledge/skill considered by the UNESCO to be part of a place’s cultural heritage; it comprises nonphysical intellectual property, such as folklore, customs, beliefs, traditions, knowledge and language. In Nurturing Intangible Cultural Heritage for Entrepreneurship - NICHE [2020-1-IS01-KA202-065809] project, funded by the Erasmus+ programme, was developed an innovative training for the professionals who operate in the field of intangible cultural heritage to promote entrepreneurial initiatives in the sector, enhance its competitiveness and sustain its growth. Nine (9) partners from 7 European countries (Iceland, Belgium, Belgium, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Iceland, Sweden and Greece) contributed to the NICHE training programme for professionals, students and trainers, to acquire competitive business and digital skills. Based on the methodology shared by DAISSy research group - Hellenic Open University, the partnership conducted a report mapping the employment dynamics in the ICH sector, the profiles and skills required - soft, digital, entrepreneurial - using ESCO, DigComp and EntreComp. This paper presents the rationale for the training of Intangible Cultural Heritage Professionals which consists of 10 modules for entrepreneurship, socio-economic empowerment and digital skills. NICHE bridges a gap in the sector, providing innovative training.

Keywords:

Intangible Cultural Heritage, Training, Entrepreneurship.