The Executive Leadership Development in Heritage Management Workshops present an intensive International Summer School on Engaging Communities in Cultural Heritage, taking place from 8–28 June 2026 in Paros, Greece, with a hybrid format combining online learning and in-person fieldwork. Online component: 8–14 June 2026 In-person component: 15–28 June 2026 Delivery mode: Online and on-site This programme is designed for heritage professionals, researchers, cultural practitioners, and leaders seeking advanced skills in community engagement, research-led practice, and participatory heritage management. About the Training Community engagement has become a central element of heritage institutions’ public programmes worldwide. While numerous toolkits and methodologies exist, their uncritical application can overlook cultural specificity and ethical considerations. This summer school promotes an alternative approach grounded in social and artistic research, prioritising community-led initiatives and contextual understanding. The programme emphasises research-led practice as a foundation for exhibition design, collaborative actions, and heritage interpretation. By focusing on ethnography, oral history, and participatory research, participants explore how heritage initiatives can better reflect the social, cultural, and historical particularities of specific communities and their relationships with one another. Drawing on extensive professional experience, the instructors present case studies from their own work and international practice, encouraging critical reflection and comparative analysis. Local Collaboration and Field Context The in-person component is developed in close collaboration with community-led initiatives on the island of Paros, notably: The Paros Festival, a grassroots art and heritage festival with strong volunteer engagement and significant local impact Ai Mnimai (The Memories), a local oral history initiative focused on preserving community narratives These collaborations provide participants with real-world examples of how research can support collective knowledge production and the safeguarding of local heritage. Programme Structure The two-week summer school combines theory, practice, and applied research through a carefully structured hybrid format. Online Component Participants engage in daily online lectures that introduce: Theoretical foundations of community engagement Collaborative research approaches Heritage values and interpretation Sessions are supported by curated readings and assignments designed to strengthen analytical and reflective skills. On-Site Fieldwork Building on the online foundation, the on-site component focuses on applied learning through: Ethnographic fieldwork Participant and direct observation Interviews and focus groups Collaborative research exercises Participants work in teams to design, conduct, and evaluate research in a real community setting. Learning Outcomes By the end of the programme, participants are expected to demonstrate the ability to: Through Online Participation Understand principles of community engagement, collaborative research, and heritage values Conduct research tailored to community needs and engagement initiatives Apply ethnographic methods, including remote oral history interviews Curate multimedia content and create narratives for digital exhibitions Explore heritage integration into festivals and temporary exhibitions Develop interpretation skills relevant to heritage management Critically assess community tourism and festival-based heritage initiatives Reflect on the role of art and artistic research in heritage preservation Through On-Site Participation Analyse the complexities of local communities through comparative case studies Plan, execute, and evaluate collaborative ethnographic research Conduct and interpret in-person interviews and observations Develop interview guides and manage ethical and technical aspects of data collection Understand recording, archiving, and evaluation of oral histories Critically assess local heritage initiatives within broader policy contexts Design context-specific community engagement projects Translate research findings into public-facing strategies and presentations Contribute to the production of a research-based podcast and final public presentation Course Themes Key thematic areas include: Introduction to heritage management and community engagement Ethnographic methods and collaborative research Oral history and community memory Digital curation and online heritage platforms Festivals as spaces for community engagement in heritage Instructors Course Directors and Instructors Dr Aris Anagnostopoulos, Community Engagement Manager, HERITΛGE; Honorary Lecturer, University of Kent Dr Lena Stefanou, Manager of African Programmes, HERITΛGE (Ghana) Guest Lecturer Dr Evangelos Kyriakidis, Director, HERITΛGE Scholarships and Financial Support HERITΛGE offers scholarships covering up to 90% of attendance costs, subject to financial need and funding availability. Benefactors’ scholarships are also available for qualified candidates, excluding travel and accommodation expenses. Application Process Applicants must: Submit the Executive Leadership Program in Heritage Management Application Form Provide a CV, personal statement outlining a relevant project, and a reference letter Demonstrate reasonable proficiency in spoken and written English Participate in a personal interview Following acceptance, participants will receive an official letter detailing participation conditions. Places are limited, and early application is strongly encouraged. Application deadline: 1 March 2026 Contact: info@heritagemanagement.org VISIT OFFICIAL WEBSITE TO APPLY For more opportunities such as these please follow us on Facebook, Instagram , WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn and Telegram Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the organization hosting the workshop. For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails, we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.