Southeast Asian Sub-regional Workshop on WHE

Vigan, Philippines
20-23 December 2001

Event

The "World Heritage in Young Southeast Asian hands: Second Sub-regional Workshop - Introducing the Arts for Teaching on the Historic Environment".

Purpose of the workshopwas to examine one particular topic and explore ways to use this topic in teaching about heritage. In line with the decision made at the Karskrona World Heritage International Youth Forum in September 2001, the topic chosen was guided by the UNESCO General Conference request that intangible cultural heritage and the creative arts be more systematically integrated into programs to safeguard and promote physical cultural heritage, including World Heritage.

Objectives

• Bring national heritage and education experts together in order to strengthen working alliances for further implementation of the UNESCO World Heritage Education Project in the countries of the region
• Introduce art, in particular visual and performing arts, as a medium for teaching about the historic environment. With the assistance of a team of experts and artists, give participants the opportunity to examine how accurate recording skills, creative interpretation and three-dimensional art work can be used by teachers to further understanding of historic sites and their place in the landscape and in history
• Engage visual and performing art activities to stimulate creativity  and enhance learning of the participants; and to prepare participants and develop their ability to use art as a tool in teaching about World Heritage
• Design and produce activity sheets, using art as a means of teaching students about the historic environment, with a focus on the World Heritage sites of the sub-region
• Examine the mid-term progress of each country's national four-year Action Plan for the implementation of the UNESCO World Heritage Education Project, as drawn up at the Sukhothai Workshop in February 2000; and determine how UNESCO can best assist in ensuring that the goals of the Action Plans are met.

Outcome

The Vigan Workshop encouraged the use and adaptation of the World Heritage Educational Resource Kit, emphasizing art as a means of teaching about the historic environment. Participants in the workshop gained the awareness that this valuable teaching resource, which exists to facilitate education about World Heritage both in and out of the classroom, can be a means of introducing World Heritage education into mainstream curricula. It is important that the momentum generated in Vigan is maintained and that efforts continue in disseminating the Kit and creating and introducing innovative teaching methods; thereby advancing education about World Heritage.

The creative approaches described here and the Vigan HEart activity sheets provide means by which educators can make effective use of the Kit and integrate World Heritage Education into their lessons. The recommendations from the Youth Forums and the current themes of the World Heritage Education project can provide inspiration and guidelines for those designing new action plans for the implementation of the Kit - and assist in the realization of the World Heritage Education goals in the region.

Organizers 

The UNESCO Office of the Regional Advisor for Culture in Asia and Pacific
Office of the City Major, World Heritage site of Vigan
Ilocos Sur Provincial Government
National University of the Philippines
The UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines

Sponsors

The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) and the World Heritage Fund

Participants

83 participants, of which80 teachers, trainers and experts,3 UNESCO representatives.

Countries represented

Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam.