Culture, Place and Policy Institute

The Challenge

The project aims to research the potential benefits as well as risks of introducing mega-events into historic European cities. The research is divided into three phases.  First, it will build on existing research to investigate the role of heritage in previous cultural mega-events. Secondly, there will be case studies about the role of heritage resources (with a particular focus on built heritage) in the 2015 Milan Expo, in Hull UK City of Culture 2017, and in four European Capitals of Culture: Genoa 2004, Wroclaw 2016, Pafos 2017 and Matera 2019. Thirdly, the findings from these studies will lead to the development of policy recommendations for international event organisers and city decision-makers.

The Approach

CPPI are working as part of a European research team, in partnership with the International Cultural Centre, Krakow, Poland; Neapolis University, Pafos, Cyprus. The team is led by the Polytechnic of Milan.  The project will run for three years from October 2018 and is funded via the European Joint Programming Initiative in Cultural Heritage call on Heritage in Changing Environments. 

The Impact

The central activity of the HOMEE project is Living Lab field research held in Matera in the summer of 2019, in the middle of the city’s year as European Capital of Culture.  The Living Lab brings together local actors and decision makers to address key issues facing local heritage in Matera, providing a direct learning experience from a local perspective.  This experience will underpin a series of policy recommendations, which will be shared with national and international policy makers via the creation of a HOMEE Charter. 

The project works closely with a number of decision making bodies across Europe, including the Brussels-based European Network on Cultural Management and Policy (ENCATC), the National Lottery Heritage Fund (UK), the National Heritage Board of Poland, the Matera-Basilicata 2019 Foundation and the Pafos 2017 Organisation, who will use the outcomes of the research to progress mega-event planning and implementation in heritage-rich cities.  Published copies of the Charter will also be printed and distributed.