“Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and culture and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits”. Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948. The fundamental right of all people to participate in the arts and culture and of access to heritage, have become central in the latest acts adopted by the European Union and the Council of Europe. The idea has emerged that citizens should not only participate in cultural activities, but also in the management and curation of culture and cultural heritage. Conclusions drawn by the Council of the European Union on participatory governance of cultural heritage and the EU Commission Communication “ Towards an integrated approach to cultural heritage in Europe” - issued in 2014 - identify cultural heritage as a strategic resource for a sustainable Europe, acknowledge its social dimension and underline the importance of activating synergies across different stakeholders to safeguard and valorise it. They also recognize the importance of transparent and participatory governance and participatory systems to be shared with the people to whom arts and culture ultimately belongs. The Project Active Citizens Exploring Culture - ACE Culture has the objective of extending and developing the competences of educators and other personnel (archivists, artists, museum and heritage) who support adult education in Community Learning Environments working with local stakeholders with an interest in gaining new skills on influencing inclusion in their neighbourhood and community (EQF level 3 -6). The project has a starting point in examples of social and educational value of European arts and cultural heritage in order to encourage members of the public to engage as Arts and Cultural Mediators for their local community. The project is supported by a portal based upon the value of local cultural heritage. It will contain a selection of apps, programs and tool kits that have two goals :Inclusion and skills development: Adults will be trained as Cultural Mediators for their community in order to recognise, explore, document and display their local arts and cultural assets.The project methodology is based upon a cascade learning effect created by following the Intellectual Outputs:1. A Methodology Handbook and Implementation plan aim at Decision Makers in Communities.2. A curriculum and training material for a continuous professional development (CPD) course (training the trainer) for Adult educators will be at the heart of the project. The project will be aimed at supporting educators, mentors, coaches, decision makers and stakeholders, during the implementation of the material towards the above the target groups.3. Two sets of online tool kits aimed at front -line workers and Cultural Mediators respectively4. A Community Curation OER platform where Cultural Mediators can share rich media artefacts and stories created and curated by members of the local community. The target groups of the informal adult education programs will be:1.Member so of the general public and other beneficiaries who would like to get involved as Arts and Cultural Mediators The target groups of the formal adult education programs will be:2.Front-line workers such as; museum and heritage personnel, librarians, archivists and others who have direct contact with the general public.The target groups of the CPD course will be:3. Adult educators working directly with front - line workersOther beneficiaries4.Professionals working in city planning about cultural engagement; architects, policy makers, decision makers , local government staffThe Project team will explore approaches and methods of cultural inclusion with a particular focus on inner city and outer city neighbourhoods and develop practical tools to be used in Adult Education settings that can provide a link between the public and neighbourhood planners to shape holistic and sustainable change in neighbourhoods.

Project AimThe project “Active Citizens Reimagining the Community” aims to set up a program of adult education directed at training “community mediators”. The objective is to train selected members of the public to act as mediators between the community and professionals working in urban development. This project is grounded on the premise that our communities need to be reimagined with radical new approaches for their future development with citizens as active agents in the process. Urban development is at a crossroads with half of the global population now living in cities. According to UNESCO, two thirds of the world’s population forecast to live in urban areas by 2050. This mass internal migration from smaller towns and rural areas to ever expanding urban hubs means planners and policy makers have to rethink how to manage a range of complex challenges such as; air and water quality, waste disposal, transportation , sustainable economic development, housing, care, health, policing, parks, leisure and community services. If urban hubs are to cope with increased inward migration and consequently smaller towns and rural areas an increased external migration, there is a need for a reorganisation of services. These services need to be founded on sustainable land use, inclusive economic growth and greener communal transport systems to enable citizens and communities to contribute to future development. The traditional model of top-down, urban planning led by a combination of municipal planning and private sector led agencies will not be capable of managing the challenges associated without actively engaging citizens in community development. There is a pressing need to democratise urban planning and to place citizens and their needs at the heart of future growth. At the heart of this approach is our learning that small mechanisms and radical incrementalism can cumulatively affect wider social change and the redesign of cities. Target AudienceThis project is aimed at N.G.O’s and other organisations who are involved in the field of Community Development who are proactively engaged with Community Leaders to empower them to drive positive urban transformation. It is also aimed at Adult Education providers enabling them to deliver:a.A formal accredited learning programme of Community Development aimed at Adult Educatorsb.A non-formal programme aimed at volunteer Community Champions/Mediators It will create new opportunities for people who are passionate about their communities and want to develop the skills and knowledge to positively engage with the urban planning process, enabling them to link between the professionals and the general public. The project will develop the outcomes :IO1.A training curriculum for a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for adult educators with a learning outcome matrix (LOM) based on EQF/NQF. The course will concentrate on effective pedagogical methods deliver the informal and formal adult education programs. It will also contain module of creating links between community and decision makers.IO2. On-line tool kit of training material aimed at Front-line workers. The material will contain both formal and non-formal methodologies on helping deliver 10 areas of community development to facilitate upskilling of Community Mediators to engage with the community 1O3.On-line tool kit of training ideas aimed at Community Mediators, members of the community working as volunteers. The material will contain both formal and non-formal methodologies and cover of 10 areas of community development chosen to help Community Champions facilitate a dialogue between the professional and the community Part 1:1. Transport & Connectivity 2. Leisure & Amenities3. Children and Play4. Maximising Community Assets & Unlocking New Opportunities5. The value of History, Heritage and Urban change 6. Embedding Community Ethos and Values e.g creating ‘connecting spaces’ 7. The Commercial experience 8. Enhancing community aesthetics 9. Environmental factors e.g. air quality, recycling, 10. Culture e.g. faith, mutual aidPart 2:1. Networking2. Using social media3. CommunicatingetcIO4.A Methodology Handbook aimed at decision makers, containing the theories and ideas behind the learning programme with case studies of successful people-led change. The handbook will also contain an Implementation Strategy for Communities and Municipalities wishing to engage with the program.The Impact will:- Improve the skills of adult educators in using innovative methodologies and tools for adult educators- Enhance personal and professional competence of managers, team leaders and company owners in the city development and democracy sphere;- Create a continuous professional development course for adult educators on transferring the latest developments in city development and democracy.