Since 2004, the British Council has been funding a series of cultural heritage projects in South East Europe (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro). These were carried out in partnership with local cultural heritage NGOs, universities and ministries of culture and education.

British Council Cultural and Environmental Heritage Fund for South East Europe (CEHF –SEE) has focused on supporting projects in three main areas:

1. Capacity Building for NGOs

Strengthening civil society is one of the British Council’s major objectives in the region. A major focus for the Cultural Heritage Programme has therefore been identifying ways of strengthening the capacity of civil society NGOs in the cultural heritage sector.

For information on a project in this area you can contact the British Council office in Albania.

2. Education and Training

Education and training are crucial to developing the next generation of trained experts in the cultural heritage sector. There are currently few places in the region where up to date training in contemporary approaches to conservation, restoration and planning are available. Developing capacity in key universities is essential to ensure that countries in the region build their own local capacity.

For information on a project in this area you can contact the British Council office in Bulgaria.

3. Cultural Community Development/Cultural Tourism

Cultural heritage projects need to be rooted in their local community, and encouraging the development of ‘beacon’ projects that showcase the ways in which cultural projects can empower local communities is central to the long term success and relevance of the sector. Cultural tourism is a significant economic driver in the region, and beacon projects will demonstrate how the demands of the public can be balanced against the needs of conserving cultural heritage.

For information on a project in this area you can contact the British Council office in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Around 30 projects have been funded by the Cultural Heritage Fund over the two years 2005 and 2006. The Cultural Heritage Fund has been highly successful, in terms of:

• supporting the conservation of the heritage of the region
• encouraging cultural heritage organisations in the region to work together
• raising awareness of the built heritage amongst government departments

British Council