Cultural institutions are institutions with an acknowledged mission to engage in the conservation, interpretation and dissemination of cultural, scientific, and environmental knowledge, and promote activities meant to inform and educate citizens on associated aspects of culture, history, science and the environment. Examples of cultural institutions are museums, libraries, historical or botanical societies, and community cultural centres. Cultural institutions play a pivotal role in the maintenance, conservation, revitalisation, interpretation, and documentation of heritage, and in facilitating citizens’ interaction and engagement with heritage. As such, cultural institutions are important actors in the promotion of cultural understanding, intercultural dialogue and cultural diversity, and in the transmission of culture across generations.
Sources:
Open Method of Coordination (OMC) working group of EU member states experts on the role of public arts and cultural institutions in the promotion of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue. Report on the role of public arts and cultural institutions in the promotion of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue. January, 2014.