Conference: National Cultural Heritage as a Factor of Sustainable Regional Development

The aim of the Final Conference is threefold: summarise the project outcomes, present them to a broader audience and discuss areas of further cooperation between the project stakeholders. The Conference will comprise plenary sessions and thematic working groups on education and tourism. The programme will also feature guided tours of Yasnaya Polyana Museum Estate and other spectacular local sights showcasing the opportunities for culture-led regional development.

Programme

4 October 2007

arrival, informal meeting of the participants

5 October 2007

Opening Session (Art Gallery, 10, Oktyabrskaya str., Tula )
9:30 – registration of the participants
10:00 – greetings and opening remarks by:

Vladimir Tolstoy, Director, Leo Tolstoy’s Heritage Foundation;
Vyacheslav Dudka, Governor, Tula region;
Katrin Göhring-Eckhardt, Vice President, German Bundestag;
Stephan Wolf, Mayor of Weimar;
Chris Williams, Councillor, Stratford-on-Avon District Council;
Natalia Pilius, Head, Stchekino District

10.30 – The TACIS project National Cultural Heritage as a Factor of Sustainable Regional Development: an overview

Education and Culture as Gears of Regional Development: philosophy, concepts and activities of the trilateral EU project (Burkhardt Kolbmüller, Project Coordinator, Weimar);
Capitalising on Spirit of Times and Genius Loci: opportunities, challenges and prospects of further cooperation (Mikhail Gnedovsky, Director, Cultural Policy Institute, Moscow);
Discussion

11:30 – press conference

11:30 – coffee break

12:00 – Endeavours and Benefits: the outcomes of the project from the partners’ point of view

Hellmut Seemann, President, Foundation of Weimar Classics;
Vladimir Tolstoy, Director, Leo Tolstoy’s Heritage Foundation;
Roger Pringle, Director, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust;
Discussion

13:00 – lunch

14:30 – departure to Yasnaya Polyana

15:00 – guided tour of Yasnaya Polyana Museum-Estate

17:00 – negotiations

19:00 – dinner and concert of the Yasnaya Polyana Trio

6 October 2007

9:30 – Working Groups (Yasnaya Polyana, International Training Centre)

Education

Chair: Burkhardt Kolbmüller, Project Coordinator, Weimar

Topics:

German Russian Youth Exchange;
International Summer/Winter Courses;
Tolstoy Traning Centre: new educational concepts

Tourism

Chair: Jörg Rathmann, Integrated German Expert, Yasnaya Polyana Museum-Estate

Topics:

Building New Partnerships: creating a European network of writers’ museums;
Making Joint Presentations on Travel Trade and Book Fairs;
Launching a Common Website

11:30 – coffee break

12:00 – Joint Session: Next Steps to a Long-Term Cooperation

report of the working groups (Burkhardt Kolbmüller, Jörg Rathmann);
elaboration of a mid-term program

13:30 – lunch

15:00 – Panel Discussion: Yasnaya Polyana Region Development through International Cultural Cooperation (Volkonsky House, Yasnaya Polyana Museum-Estate)

Chair: Vladimir Tolstoy, Director, Leo Tolstoy’s Heritage Foundation

Participants:

Berni McNally, Operations section, the EC Delegation to Russia;
Guido Hildner, Cultural Attaché, German Embassy Moscow;
James Kennedy, Director, British Council, Moscow;
Johannes Ebert, Director, Goethe-Institute Moscow;
Svetlana Vinogradova, Head, Department for Culture, Administration, Tula region;
Natalia Pilius, Head, Stchekino District

16:30 – closing remarks

19:00 – reception

7 October 2007

excursion to the historical town of Krapivna – optional

departure of the participants