Šibenik, Croatia – Fortress of Culture, in partnership with the FORTIC partnership consortium and the European Federation of Fortified Sites (EFFORTS), is proud to announce the upcoming Project FORTIC Conference and the EFFORTS Annual Congress. The event, titled "Sustainable Business Models for Fortifications", will be held at the Educational Campus of St. John's Fortress in Šibenik on October 24th and 25th, 2024.
This conference is a key component of the EU project FORTIC "From Remains of the War to the Architecture of Peace in the Cross-Border Area of Italy-Croatia." The lead partner of the FORTIC Project is the City of Pula, and the project partners, along with Fortress of Culture Šibenik, are Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, the Town of Korčula, CA' FOSCARI University of Venice, the Municipality of Cervia, and the Municipality of Vieste. Associated partners include the School for Education and Training Pula, the Tourist Board of the City of Korčula, and the Venetian association UNPLI Veneto.
The conference will bring together approximately 70 cultural management experts from Europe. The conference program will address pressing topics related to fortifications and cultural heritage management, including sustainable business models in heritage ecosystems, digital technologies and heritage valorization with a focus on the metaverse, placemaking and inclusion for vulnerable social groups in fortress spaces, education for culture and peace focusing on fortifications as dissonant heritage, and networking and cooperation within cultural networks.
The annual Congress and General Assembly of the international association EFFORTS will take place as part of the conference. The European Federation of Fortified Sites, which unites representatives of over 200 fortified sites across Europe, includes Fortress of Culture Šibenik, a member since 2018 with a representative on the association's Board of Directors since 2019. The mission of EFFORTS is to exchange expertise, promote collaboration, and emphasize the importance of fortified heritage as a link to our shared European history and a key factor in environmental, social, economic, and spatial development, contributing to the EU's goals in adapting to climate change.
"Building connections, continuous learning, and international collaboration are key to preserving and enhancing our shared heritage," highlighted the team at Fortress of Culture Šibenik. This approach aligns with the overall objective of the FORTIC Project, which aims to strengthen the role of Adriatic cross-border cultural heritage by recognizing sustainable business models for fortifications.
The FORTIC Project is part of the EU's Interreg Italy – Croatia 2021-2027 Programme, which prioritizes culture and sustainable tourism as drivers of economic growth, social inclusion, and innovation.
