More information
Description
The main activities planned for implementation under the project include:
1.Construction of Museum of Wilamovian Culture building in Wilamowice. The project refers to traditional buildings at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries.
2. Cultural and educational offer.The project provides for the implementation of a number of activities related to the cultural and educational offer initiated during the implementation of the project. It is planned a series of soft activities including workshops, exhibitions, training and events.
3. Trainings.
4. Project management.
5. Promotion of the project.
6. Purchase of equipment for conducting cultural activities and protecting cultural heritage.
All expenses planned to be incurred under the project are eligible.
Summary of project results
The project aimed to support the unrecognized ethnic minority of the Wilamowians, living in Wilamowice on the border of Silesia and Lesser Poland, in preserving their cultural heritage. Due to years of persecution, their distinct language and culture are at risk, with no formal protection in place. Over the years, the local community has advocated for the creation of a museum that would aim to protect and promote Wilamowian culture for future generations.
The project consisted of two parts: constructing a modern building and preparing the necessary expertise for its operation. As part of this, a series of training sessions was conducted for the future staff, and over 35 events and workshops for the community were organized to awaken cultural identity. The renovation of some exhibits was also carried out, and a permanent exhibition for the new museum was prepared. Additionally, a curriculum for teaching indigenous culture within the museum’s activities was created.
Thanks to the project, something that the local community had been waiting for a long time was achieved – not only was a museum established that will organizationally protect the dying culture of the ethnic minority, but within the first six months of its opening, it was visited by almost 5000 visitors. It also gained a place for stable development and language revitalization – this has already been recognized in academic circles focused on endangered languages. Thanks to the activities carried out, residents now have easy access to their cultural heritage and are learning the endangered language of the ethnic minority. A tourist offer was created, and the collections previously managed by local NGOs are now fully accessible. The project succeeded in reversing the long-standing marginalization of Wilamowian culture, influencing changes in language attitudes, and engaging researchers in in-depth studies on Wilamowice through the museum.
Summary of bilateral results
The project aimed to establish the Vilamovian Culture Museum in Wilamowice. The newly created organization aims not only to present collections related to the endangered ethnic minority of the Vilamovians – descendants of settlers who arrived from Western Europe in the 13th century – but, most importantly, to serve as a center for the revitalization of the dying Vilamovian culture and language – Wymysiöeryś, which is considered critically endangered. The museum has become one of the more modern institutions implementing strategies for the revitalization of cultural heritage and supporting their distinct identity.Thanks to the implementation of the project, it was possible not only to create the infrastructure needed for the proper protection of the cultural heritage of the ethnic minority of the Vilamovians. Through partnership cooperation, a specific profile of its activities was developed based on the mutual experiences of the partners in the field of revitalizing endangered cultures.It was possible to strengthen and stabilize the cooperation between the applicant and the NGO, and further solidified collaboration, thanks to the project, will be strategic for the protection of Vilamovian culture.The partnership between the partners has significantly evolved since the end of the project, as cooperation between them continues to tighten, and they are involved in various research projects supervised by the University of Warsaw, workshops, and training sessions.The museum created through the project has become a member of an international consortium aimed at developing a strategy for the protection of cultural diversity through the involvement of economics in the protection of intangible heritage.