Ready Track 2: Safeguarding heritage cities, sites, buildings, living traditions and practices in the face of disasters, extreme weather events and complex emergencies

About the course 

READY Track 2: Safeguarding Heritage Cities, Sites, Buildings, Living Traditions and Practices in the Face of Disasters, Extreme Weather Events, and Complex Emergencies is conceived as a hybrid course. This interdisciplinary training adopts a systems-based approach to managing risks to immovable heritage—including heritage cities, sites, buildings, and archaeological remains—together with the living traditions, practices, and knowledge systems deeply connected to these places.

In alignment with the New European Bauhaus movement, which promotes sustainable, inclusive, and enriching living environments, the course approaches heritage as part of a wider socio-cultural and ecological system rather than as isolated assets. It equips participants to assess and address disaster, extreme weather, and conflict-related risks to both immovable and living heritage, while integrating climate adaptation and nature-based strategies to support greener and more resilient cultural environments. 

Building on ICCROM–FAR’s field-tested methodology on First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis, READY Track 2 strengthens participants’ capacities to assess and mitigate extreme risks, enhance emergency preparedness, and respond effectively to complex, large-scale emergencies.

Recognizing that disasters rarely occur in isolation, the course further emphasizes cross-sector coordination among disaster risk management, climate science, civil protection, fire and rescue services, armed forces, and heritage institutions. Through multi-actor tabletop exercises and on-site emergency simulations, participants develop the ability to operate under real-time crisis conditions, apply community-centred approaches, and strengthen the resilience of heritage and associated communities.

ICCROM’s First Aid and Resilience for Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis (FAR) Programme, in partnership with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC), is pleased to announce that applications are now open for READY Track 2 — a fully funded international training on safeguarding immovable, archaeological and intangible cultural heritage in the face of disasters, climate risks and complex emergencies. This training will be hosted by the National Institute of Heritage, Romania and implemented with 17 technical partners across Europe.

Application Deadline: 31 March 2026

Key course dates:

The course will comprise 4 key phases: 

• Phase 1: Online Orientation and Introduction to Key Concepts

Dates: 16-20 hours per week over 4 weeks, with half-day sessions (Mon-Thu) between the end of May and the end of June 2025.

• Phase 2: Three-Week In-Person Training on Immovable and Intangible Cultural Heritage

Dates: The training will take place over 15–18 days, with one rest day between each week. Participants should plan for a minimum stay of 20 days in Bucharest, Romania, and are advised to obtain approval from their employers accordingly. Exact dates will be confirmed upon selection. 

Location: Bucharest, Romania (TBC)

• Phase 3: Follow-up Field Projects Implemented by Participants

Dates

August 2025 – February 2026 

Note: Upon completion of Phase 2: In-Person Two-Week Workshop, participants are required to propose joint or individual projects to be carried out in their respective home countries aimed at enhancing regional, national and local capacities for managing the risk of conflicts, disasters and extreme weather events for heritage sites and living traditions, practices, as well as knowledge systems. The resources for implementing field projects will be supported  by participants’ institutions.

• Phase 4: International Online Meeting for Dissemination of Field Project Outcomes  

Dates: To be decided upon completion of the follow-up field projects. 

Course fee

This course is fully funded, with no participation fee. All expenses related to travel and accommodation for the in-person training component will be covered by ICCROM. Your only requirement is a strong commitment to learning and applying your skills.

Language

The course will be conducted in English. However, the multilingual team of resource persons will assist participants in understanding core concepts and key terms where necessary. Additionally, a multilingual glossary and bibliography will be provided to further support and enhance the learning experience.

Expected Learning Outcomes 

At the end of the course, participants will be able to: 

• Identify and analyze the uses, values, and meanings associated with heritage cities, settlements, buildings, living traditions, and social practices.
• Understand how these uses, values, and meanings are shaped by the wider urban context and settlement patterns, influenced by geography, climate, and governance structures.
• Assess how destruction caused by disasters and conflict disrupts cities and settlements, leading to shifts in uses, values, and meanings of heritage places and associated living traditions.
• Assess risks related to extreme weather, disasters, and conflicts to immovable heritage and associated living traditions, as well as practices, factoring in key risk drivers in consultation with local governments, disaster risk management, and climate change adaptation authorities.
• Document community-held local knowledge and existing adaptive capacities to develop inclusive multi-hazard risk mitigation and emergency preparedness strategies for safeguarding immovable heritage and associated living traditions and practices
• Analyze the cultural, social, and political context of a given emergency to assess needs for affected immovable and living heritage, understanding the different phases of emergency management
• Plan and carry out on-site damage and risk assessments for immovable heritage and associated living traditions in complex emergency situations, while being familiar with the basic requirements of personal safety and security in hazardous situations.
• Work with various humanitarian actors, civil protection agencies, and military to identify priorities and provide ethical first aid to immovable and intangible heritage in a complex emergency.
• Document, salvage and store fragments of damaged heritage structures
• Undertake emergency documentation to design and implement cost-effective solutions for emergency stabilization of damaged heritage structures and buildings observing established conservation principles of minimal intervention and do no harm
• Provide timely relief to cultural bearers and work in collaboration with humanitarian actors to safeguard at-risk living heritage.
• Be familiar with basic principles of effective teamwork, the value of multi-disciplinary team leadership, and be equipped with essential coordination and communication skills.
• Understand how to plan the transition from first aid to early recovery to build disaster resilience and peace through heritage.
• Transfer relevant knowledge and skills to train local teams of cultural first aiders.
• Identify institutions and coordination mechanisms needed for improving disaster risk management for cultural heritage at the local level.
• Promote better integration of the concerns for cultural heritage protection within national, regional, and local disaster risk management and climate adaptation plans. 

Who can apply

Applications are invited from diverse professionals based in countries participating in the Creative Europe programme who are motivated to strengthen their capacity to safeguard at-risk heritage and serve their communities. Selection will be based on professional relevance, experience, and the applicant’s potential to apply the training outcomes in their local context. The course is open to, but limited to, professionals in the following fields:

• Conservation architects and engineers
• Heritage site managers
• Archaeologists
• Urban planners
• Community leaders and cultural bearers
• Professionals working in civil protection, disaster risk management, climate science, humanitarian response, and fire risk management
• Military and emergency responders involved in heritage protection

How to apply?

To apply, please complete all mandatory fields in the online application form by 31 March 2026. 

Preliminary selection will be finalized by April 30, 2026. If selected, you will be invited for an online interview during the first week of May 2026.