Overview

From February 9–12, Bucharest became the meeting point for the international meeting of the CERV SOLIDARITOWN, titled: #WP5: SOLIDARITY, CHRISTMAS, CULTURAL ECONOMY BASED ON TRADITIONS AND HERITAGE. This gathering, part of the CERV initiative, brought together participants involved in the area of rural development from across Europe to share ideas, tackle common challenges, and discover the potential of patrimony in paving the future of business models and entrepreneurship. 

Objectives

SolidariTown as a whole, as well as the WP5 event focused on three key goals:

• Increase awareness about cultural heritage in Europe;
• Better understanding about the potentialities of culture for entrepreneurship and economic development;
• Reflecting about challenges as rural depopulation and youth unemployment;

The event was organised as a two-day initiative, covering activities pertaining to cultural heritage and entrepreneurial potential.

Day 1: Multicultural Dialogue, Cultural Heritage and Touristic Potential

Morning session

The first day of the event began with a fragment on Multicultural Dialogue, where participants exchanged ideas about how Europe’s shared cultural heritage can create new opportunities in the workfield. These discussions set the stage for an agenda-setting session, where practical next steps were proposed to promote cultural inclusion and preserve traditions in participants’ own home communities.

Afternoon session

The day ended with a guided tour of Bucharest, showcasing the city’s rich cultural and historical legacy. Led by Geography students from the University of Bucharest, the tour highlighted not only the beauty of Romanian heritage, but also the potential of cultural tourism as a growing industry, providing good case practice examples of how to integrate tourism into the life of the city, without suffocating it with overpopulation and overconsumption.

Day 2: Past, Present and Future Bridging Patrimony and Innovation

Traditions, today

The second day took a more practical approach, shifting the focus to new business models inspired by cultural heritage. Participants brainstormed creative ideas for preserving traditions while identifying the challenges these projects might face. The key element of the day was the session held by Loredana Enache, the founder of the slow-fashion brand Brâu, an initiative that brings together modern elements and cultural garments, harmoniously combining the two in a culturally-sensible way.

Loredana shared her inspiring story of bringing Romanian traditions into the modern world, blending cultural preservation with entrepreneurship. Her experience offered a practical example of how heritage can revitalize rural areas and create sustainable businesses. This session led into an open conversation about demographic challenges in Europe, including rural depopulation and aging populations.

Getting hands-on

This session led into an open conversation about demographic challenges in Europe, including rural depopulation and aging populations. To end the day, participants got hands- on in a handicraft workshop led by young volunteers, transforming the ideas of tradition and creativity into tangible works that made the topic of discussion more palpable.

This event showed how tradition and innovation can work together to solve real challenges and lead to new frontiers, proving that Europe’s cultural heritage is both a treasure to preserve, as well as a foundation to build on top of.

SolidariTown was made possible through the grants provided by the European Commission, and is a direct outcome of the joint efforts of the founding partners:

• Christmas Cities Network, Spain
• Medina de Rioseco Townhall, Spain
• Comune di Genova, Italy
• EducPro, Portugal
• Fundacja Autokreacja, Poland
• Center for Entrepreneurship and
• Tourism Krško, Slovenia
• Lviv Polytechnic National
• University, Ukraine
• Asociatia Se Poate, Romania