​ESACH/Youth.Heritage.Europe hosts MONDIACULT side event on youth inclusion in cultural heritage sector

At 8:15 AM, moderator and Programmes Officer of ESACH / YHE Anna Bundalo opened the session, welcoming participants both in the room and online via Instagram Live. She highlighted that the insights from the discussion would directly feed into a joint statement, ensuring the youth perspective would be heard beyond the conference walls. 

​In the early morning hours of the  MONDIACULT 2025 Global Forum on Cultural Policies, ESACH / Youth.Heritage.Europe (YHE) hosted a pivotal side event titled “Shaping the Future: Youth Perspectives on Heritage Policy and Cultural Governance” on 30 September. The session brought together young professionals and institutional partners to advocate for a structural shift in how youth are included in decision-making within the cultural heritage sector.

​Keynote speaker and President of ESACH / YHE, Sorina Neacsu, then took the stage, tracing ESACH’s journey from a student-led initiative to a pan-European platform representing young voices in heritage. She emphasized the organization’s core vision that “youth are not just beneficiaries of cultural policy, but active co-creators.” Her remarks set the tone for the session’s central challenge: moving from acknowledgment to action in youth inclusion

During the expert panel – Jasna Popović (ESACH / YHE), Manon Richard (European Heritage Hub / Europa Nostra), and Herman Bashiron Mendolicchio (CHARTER Alliance EU / University of Barcelona) – built on this momentum with a unanimous call for concrete change. Herman underscored the need to shift from token consultation to genuine co-creation, noting that youth are too often included only after priorities are set. Manon reinforced this by urging institutions to mainstream youth participation across all activities, while Jasna summed up the essence of youth contribution in three words: renewal, relevance, and resilience.

The audience’s engagement proved the growing demand for such conversations. A lively Q&A session followed, addressing questions from young attendees, including a 16-year-old participant challenging the definition of “youth” itself, and discussions on how institutions like UNESCO can strengthen youth representation in official delegations. The dialogue also explored innovative approaches (such as arts-based, horizontal forms of exchange) to move beyond traditional policy-making frameworks.

The event culminated in a joint statement, reflecting shared priorities and outlining actionable steps for institutional partners and youth networks alike.

Read the Joint Statement here!

What’s Next?
Change begins with participation.
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Join ESACH / Youth.Heritage.Europe and help shape the future of heritage governance! Whether by starting a local initiative, joining one of our working groups, or contributing your voice to upcoming youth dialogues — your involvement matters.