Heritage Futures: A Training Programme for Makers and Archivists
Archives and heritage collections help tell the stories of who we are. But as society evolves, whose stories are preserved? Who has a voice in curating or making decisions within archives? And how can we ensure that what we preserve reflects the rich diversity of different communities? To address these questions, Nieuwe Instituut, together with a broad network of heritage partners across the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is launching the Heritage Futures: A Training Programme for Makers and Archivists: a hands-on programme of workshops, training, and knowledge-exchange designed to support more equitable and community-driven approaches to archiving.
Heritage Futures is a three-year project funded by the Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE)’s Faro scheme for heritage participation. Drawing on years of research, collaboration, and practical experience the partners in the programme turn valuable insights into accessible tools, practical methods, and hands-on learning opportunities.
At the heart of Heritage Futures is the belief that heritage belongs to everyone. Rather than acting solely as custodians of collections, heritage and archival organisations should instead be partners in a shared process of collecting, preserving, and interpreting heritage. By working together with creators, donors, researchers, community archivists, and heritage professionals, we can build archives that are more representative, transparent, and equitable.
Thematic handbooks
30+ partners have volunteered to contribute their knowledge by helping to shape the new curriculum. This will be shared in the form of three handbooks including exercises, tools, and resources on one of the following track themes: (1) How to Archive Better? Hands-on tools for Designers and Makers; (2) How to Decolonise Archives? Collections, Colonial Narratives, and Polyvocality; (3) How to Archive together? Ethical and Participatory Collecting for Institutions.
These handbooks are shared with the broader heritage community through a ’train-the-trainer' programme, which will equip a new generation of trainers embedded within other partner organisations. These trainers will help share the knowledge and tools locally and support communities in applying democratic and participatory archival methods. By creating a growing network of trainers, the programme aims to ensure that inclusive heritage practices become a lasting part of the cultural sector.
Workshops
Through a series of regional and thematic workshops throughout 2027 and 2028 across the Netherlands and the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao), participants will explore the practical toolkits, real-life case studies, and collaborative approaches to archival work. Whether you are new to the field, already active in heritage practice, or looking to reflect on existing approaches, the programme offers tools and perspectives that can support broader archival questions.
Heritage Futures is not only about learning new methods. It’s also about building connections, sharing knowledge, and working together to imagine and create a more inclusive future for archives and heritage.
This project was made possible thanks to:
RCE