Events & Festivals
5th Summer School for the Cultural Heritage of Rural Areas
The 5th Summer School for the Cultural Heritage of Rural Areas was held in Dimitsana from 21 to 28 July 2024 under the theme “Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage: Good Practices for Contemporary Challenges”.
Theme and programme
The programme combined specialist presentations, collaborative workshops and fieldwork. Its core activities examined two initiatives in Gortynia as potential good practices for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage: the “Arcadiani” multifunctional farm in Psari and the Stone Workshop organised in Lagkadia by the association “Anthoi tis Petras”. Participants also worked with residents of Dimitsana to create material for a pilot audio-guide application about aspects of everyday life in the village in the past.
Organisation and local activities
The school was organised by the Directorate of Modern Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture and the Dimitsana Interconference Cultural Centre, with support from the Region of Peloponnese, the Municipality of Gortynia, the Open-Air Water Power Museum of the Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation, Mainalon Social Cooperative Enterprise and other local organisations and residents.
The parallel programme included a guided visit to the Open-Air Water Power Museum, meetings with the local community, a hike through the Lousios Gorge and cultural and gastronomic activities in the wider area.