Youth for Miners' Heritage

Youth for Miners' Heritage is an ESC volunteering project aimed at interpretation, valorisation and preservation of cultural heritage in Idrija, Slovenia.

Idrija is a place of rich cultural and natural heritage. Especially characteristic for the former mining town are the traditional Idrija miners’ houses that had once dominated the town’s landscape. Today, only a few of former miners’ homes are preserved in its original state and many of them are endangered. Through inclusion of 14 young volunteers and the mobilisation of local community we will start reversing this trend!
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The volunteering activity will include:

  • Exploring UNESCO Heritage

Getting to know the environment is important! During the activity we will organise the guided visits to many fascinating sites in Idrija and across Slovenia, where volunteers will get a chance to learn about the culture, language and more.

  • Heritage Protection Workshops

Hands on approach to heritage protection! Volunteers will work with the heritage professionals and experts and through joint activities learn about the important principles and traditional crafts used to build houses in the past.

  • Digital Valorisation of Cultural Heritage

Make heritage digital! On a selected example of an endangered Idrija miners’ house the volunteers will preform the digital valorisation of the building and its objects to create a digital database and preserve them for the future.

  • Experience Dissemination

Share the knowledge! Volunteers will share new knowledges and skills acquired during the activity to promote the ideas of international solidarity, youth activism, traditional skills, and European heritage protection among the public.
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»The only way to preserve heritage is to live with it and use it, even if it is damaged in some places; because only everyday life transforms it into something natural and gives it heritage status.« – Eduardo Souto de Moura

Contact person: Matevž Šlabnik
E-mail: matevz.slabnik@idrija2020.si
Phone: +386 31 779 668