Territorio Mudéjar presents its model at the MOMAr Interreg Europe meeting in Corsica

At this event, we exchanged good practices in managing sustainable rural heritage with a focus on people

Territorio Mudéjar traveled to the French island of Corsica to take part in a meeting of the MOMAr Interreg Europe project*, an initiative led by the Provincial Government of Zaragoza for the purpose of designing new rural heritage management models that foster sustainable development and adapt to the specific features of each region.

There, we exchanged good practices on a highly interesting topic: “Without people, there are no resources: local management exchanges observing efficiency, sustainability and demographic fragility”. This idea is in Territorio Mudéjar’s genes, since we work as a network around heritage resources in the Mudejar field, always closely linked to the towns and their inhabitants. We are convinced that heritage is alive and evolving because it is part of a context that is lived in, urban, and in the midst of people.

Some of the inspirational examples of heritage management that we learned about include the Route of the Romanesque in Germany, the monumental churches and farms in Groningen (the Netherlands), the efforts to preserve traditional Romanian embroidery on blouses in Mehedinti county and, of course, two projects from Aragon: the sustainable networked management of Territorio Mudéjar and promotion of the ancient village of Belchite (Provincial Government of Zaragoza).

Territorio Mudéjar discussed the management of cultural heritage as a possible strategy for the future. We believe that places in which historical, cultural and natural heritage resources are managed in a conscientious and intelligent manner are resilient, distinctive and identity-based. Places for investment, development and future.

Our efforts are based on these foundations, and this is how we have explained it at the meeting, in addition to discussing how our unified, collaborative network for heritage management works, and talking about all aspects of the Mudejar (architecture, urban design, landscape, popular culture and more) and about the projects we are implementing.

Together, we strive to design new strategies for rural heritage management that foster sustainable development and adapt to the unique identity of each region.

Our hosts gave us a first-hand view of how they work at the Corsican Movable Heritage Conservation and Restoration Center (CCRPMC) located at Fort Charlet in the town of #Calvi, which is in charge of safeguarding the knowledge, preservation and promotion of this heritage. There, we discovered their resources and magnificent artistic and religious heritage.

We also traveled to the city of Corte to learn about the project for the transformation of its citadel, built in the 15th century, and its watchtower, which presides over the entire city. In addition, we also visited the temporary exhibitions at the Museum of Corsica.

*MOMAr is the acronym for the project name: Models of Management for Singular Rural Heritage.

More information: https://www.interregeurope.eu/momar/

Rural schools and heritage, a forward-looking partnership

Territorio Mudéjar is participating in the first workshops on rural schools, organized by the Centro de Profesorado (Center for Teachers) in Calatayud.

Rural schools in Aragon have always been a laboratory for rural innovation. Some of the most avant-garde educational initiatives have arisen there, later expanding to other schools in Aragon and even being duplicated across the country. One of the reasons for the success of these rural school projects is that they use the land as a reference for learning, making the environment a necessary element of the curriculum in order to educate with a sense of roots. At Territorio Mudéjar we share and promote these same distinguishing features, so we could not miss the “Escuela rural en clave de futuro” (Rural schools in terms of the future) workshops organized by the Center for Teachers in Calatayud.

We were there today, not only to accompany the teachers and schools from our Territorio Mudéjar (schools in the districts of Aranda, Campo de Daroca and Comunidad de Calatayud), but we also had the opportunity to discuss with some of them how we believe that heritage and education form a perfect partnership for innovation.

At Territorio Mudéjar we are working on several projects related to education: “Escuela rural como inicio del círculo” (Rural schools as the start of a circle) and research and development on educational materials. On the one hand, we aim to introduce ways of working with heritage into rural school curricula and, on the other, we intend to provide materials and resources to schools to help students learn to appreciate the natural and cultural heritage in their towns and to enable them to generate proposals for economic and demographic growth in order to counteract depopulation trends.

More info: http://profesoradocalatayud.catedu.es/escuela-rural-en-clave-de-futuro/

Territorio Mudéjar participates in the first meeting of the European MOMAr project

The aim of this project, which involves regions from five other countries and which will continue until January 2023, is to design new models for managing unique rural heritage.

In conjunction with other entities devoted to heritage management and rural development, Territorio Mudéjar took part in the first meeting with local agents from the province of Zaragoza in the European Interreg MOMAr project –Models of Management for Singular Rural Heritage-, an initiative led by the Provincial Government of Zaragoza for the purpose of designing new rural heritage management models that foster sustainable development and adapt to the specific features of each region.

The MOMAr project has a budget of EUR 1.2 million, and involves five other regional governments from five different European countries. It was approved last year, began in September with an initial meeting in Zaragoza of the six participating administrations, and will continue until January 2023.

The ultimate goal is to create a working document that outlines an action plan for the province of Zaragoza entailing all the stakeholders involved in heritage management and dissemination.

More information: https://www.interregeurope.eu/momar/

Video: https://www.facebook.com/315247192523931/videos/577438746140624/

FITUR 2020: Territorio Mudéjar as a role model of sustainable tourism and cultural heritage

Territorio Mudéjar is presenting at the leading international tourism trade fair a model for access to heritage that poses an opportunity to uphold local communities

Territorio Mudéjar is present at FITUR 2020, the leading tourism trade fair, which has become an excellent showcase for spotlighting the potential of our towns and heritage, as well as our proposal for smart, ‘green’ tourism strongly linked to the towns and their inhabitants.

At Territorio Mudéjar we strive to develop Mudejar heritage management practices that foster responsible, sustainable tourism designed by those in the places where the heritage is located, always in conjunction with their inhabitants.

We believe that heritage is a driving force for the development and identity of our towns. And we consider preservation, research and dissemination of the Mudejar identity to be key factors in the creation of tourism activities, which must always be designed from within the region and in conjunction with its inhabitants.

Therefore, we have aligned our work with the goals of Agenda 2030 and with the SDGs, as our guiding principles.

In this sense, as we shall explain at FITUR:

  • We promote the management of local eco-systems, extraction and use of nearby materials, native trades and craftsmanship that reduce energy consumption, and investments, all of which aid in the creation of sustainable means of subsistence and encourage green economies.
  • We believe that knowledge is key: accessibility to heritage as a starting point. We contribute our perspective in the construction of quality education at all levels that promotes learning opportunities which we believe to be crucial in the promotion of economic growth and high quality work.
  • We work with heritage space as a concentrator for rural innovation: new uses, workplace innovation, gender equality, inter-generational experiences and, in sum, working to reduce the inequality that arises, in our case, from working with world renowned heritage in a rural setting.

We firmly believe that places in which heritage resources – historical, cultural and natural – are managed in a conscientious and intelligent manner are resilient, distinct and identity-based places. They are places for investment, development and future.

To better spotlight our region, we will also be presenting a video at FITUR 2020, which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiCaStafQfA

Annual ICOMOS Symposium: Territorio Mudéjar, a model for good practices

Territorio Mudéjar took part in the 1st Annual ICOMOS Spain Symposium of Natural and Cultural Heritage, held in Madrid. There, the latest research done in the field of monument preservation, restoration, documentation, awareness and dissemination was presented.

We had the opportunity to talk about Territorio Mudéjar as a strategic model for managing World Heritage in rural areas, along with other highly interesting initiatives such as Labrit heritage in the Baztan valley, and other examples from within Aragon like the proposal submitted by Irene Ruiz at the Polytechnic of Milan about the church of San Miguel in Daroca or the San Pablo de Zaragoza management project presented by Sergio García.

We continue to work on behalf of our towns and their heritage!

More info: http://https-icomos-es-simposio-anual

The managers of World Heritage in Spain strive to make their sites more accessible to everyone

It was a pleasure to exchange experiences with more than one hundred professionals at the Meeting of Spanish World Heritage Managers held this week in Cordoba, sponsored by the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sports in collaboration with the Cordoba city council. Following this year’s motto, ‘World Heritage accessible to everyone’, Territorio Mudéjar is constructing forward-looking strategies to make our heritage places for learning, innovation and accessibility to everyone.

The modernity of our project and its vision of development from the local to the global came as a surprise; the reason for this is none other than the definition of “Mudejar” itself: while we find it in most of the medieval art forms in our towns, it displays its full glory in architecture, in which the lofty, cultured lines never become completely separated from the daily life in our villages, so that the separation from ethnography is blurred. In sum, it is a region that exudes intellectualism of all kinds, which has been preserved thanks to the inhabitants here.

We returned home with renewed enthusiasm, motivation and good management practices, and hope that, as an entity, we contributed a touch of youthfulness; we thank everyone for their generosity. See you soon!

More information at:  http://www.culturaydeporte.gob.es/actualidad/2019/11/191106-gestores-patrimonio.html

Until Monday, July 15: Accepting applications in the call for proposals to the “Gonzalo M. Borrás Gualis grants for projects and fieldwork”

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS EXTENDED TO MONDAY, JULY 15

Due to the large number of queries received in the past few days, Territorio Mudéjar has decided to extend the deadline for submission of proposals to Monday, July 15, at 2:00 pm mainland Spanish time.

Territorio Mudéjar has issued a call for proposals for five fieldwork grants for the study and management of heritage and natural resources in its towns. Each of the five Gonzalo M. Borrás Gualis grants for projects and fieldwork will be allocated EUR 6,000 and the grant beneficiaries must develop responsible, sustainable and innovative projects that have a direct impact on rural settings, foster their visibility and raise awareness about them.

Through this call, we aim to identify proposals from researchers and professionals in the field of cultural and natural heritage management that will foster development projects in the towns. Through this initiative, the entity made up of 30 municipalities in the province of Zaragoza seeks to provide support for individuals who drive rural development from a different perspective, in addition to attracting talent to rural areas.

The grants bear the name of professor Gonzalo M. Borrás Gualis, in memory of and as a tribute to this firm advocate of heritage and this region, which he saw as a field of work with a bright future. The chair of the art history department, who died in February, always believed and conveyed to others the idea that it was possible to combine highly relevant scientific research with a commitment to the land and its people, and that natural, cultural and heritage resources play a key role in communities’ futures.

Application deadline and requirements

Proposals may be submitted up to Monday, July 15, at 2:00 pm, and new and intermediate researchers, as well as professionals in the heritage management field with experience in innovative regional projects or papers that address the responsible and sustainable use of local resources, are eligible to participate. It is essential for the candidates to propose and justify living for a certain amount of time in one or more of the towns in Territorio Mudéjar. The proposed projects may be in their initial stages, in progress, in test phase, or in execution, and must provide proof that they have a direct impact on at least three member municipalities, as well an influence on the region as a whole.

A sum of EUR 6,000 will be allocated to each of the five grants. Candidates may apply as individuals or as a research team and they must meet the following requirements: they may be starting or partway through their research period or professional career, they must provide proof of higher education credentials related to the subject matters addressed in the call for proposals and at least two years of research or professional activity, whether paid or not; professional experience may be substituted by Master’s degree level work in fields linked to cultural heritage.

The aim of these grants is to promote awareness about the rural setting through its Mudejar identity by creating innovative perspectives that have a positive impact on the towns and foster networking about the possibilities arising from the region’s resources and from collaborative, cross-disciplinary work. In addition, they specifically aim to enhance knowledge about the Mudejar as World Heritage and about the benefits it affords as an international brand recognized by the UNESCO.

Conditions for submitting proposals

https://www.territoriomudejar.es/convocatoria-01/

2019 Challenge Program

Territorio Mudéjar is offering internships for Bachelor’s students at the University of Zaragoza through the Challenge Program, a project organized by the University of Zaragoza Cátedra de Despoblación (Chair for Depopulation) and the Provincial Government of Zaragoza (DPZ) in rural areas.  This is the second edition of the program, in which qualified university students in their final years of study who display a positive attitude can do internships at public and private institutions in what is known as the “Fourth Space” (towns with a population of fewer than 3,000 inhabitants).
Territorio Mudéjar has come up with a project offering Training internships geared towards developing skills in relation to Quality in the management of accessibility to monumental heritage; this program will enable students to expand their skills to become better prepared through training based on working directly in the region and with its resources.

Rules of participation

1/ Applicants

  • Students registered in the 18/19 school year who have earned 90 credits for Bachelor’s students (fill out the UNIVERSA online application at http://www.unizar.es/universa/inscripcion-online/).
  • Knowledge about: Mudejar Art, Aragonese Art, Islamic Art, Medieval Art and Architecture. Management and dissemination of cultural heritage or similar fields.
  • Languages: English and/or French (preferable but not essential)
  • Driver’s license and an available vehicle
  • Communication and customer service skills, etc.

2/ Tasks

  • PILOT PROJECT: TERRITORIO MUDÉJAR in SUMMER
  • Internship position: Responsible for accessibility to historical and artistic monuments and management of cultural heritage.

Under the guidance of the entity’s management team, the student will learn to perform tasks involved in the accessibility and dissemination of diverse historical and artistic monuments related to Territorio Mudéjar.

They will apply the knowledge acquired during their training, prepare tours, perform complementary dissemination activities, administrative management of the materials required to carry out the cultural outreach activity and financial management of activities, prepare reports and conduct quality control checks of the activity.

3/ Characteristics and financial resources

PREPARATORY COURSE: 24 hours. Introduction to management of accessibility to historical and artistic monuments.

INTERNSHIP: 144 HOURS.

JULY 15 – SEPTEMBER 15, 2019

  • Monday to Friday (two days, to be determined): 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Territorio Mudéjar offices and in member towns.
  • Saturday and Sunday: 11:00 am -2:00 pm. In the towns assigned according to the schedule for putting the skills learned into practice.
  • Total hours: 16 hours/week
  • Compensation: € 500.00/month
  • Allowance for accommodations: approx. € 600.00/month; living expenses: approx. € 15.00/day; Travel: € 138.00/entire activity
  • Optional participation in the UZ-DPZ Challenge Project extra-curricular placement category.

Location: Territorio Mudéjar

4/ Applications

Candidates should send their CV in electronic format with Ref: Territorio Mudéjar – Desafío in the subject line, to elimena@unizar.es by June 30, 2019.

5/ More information

info@territoriomudejar.es