Social Responsibility in Heritage Management

Abstract

Since the financial crisis began in late 2007, in countries like Spain a paradoxical situation has arisen: on the one hand, the austerity measures have led to the decay of cultural life as reflected in the official establishments but on the other, there has been a proliferation of social movements promoting actions to counteract this deficiency. This paradox is due to the heightened awareness and responsibility on the part of civil society to protect their different cultural identities as a central aspect of quality of life, something that creates community and resilience and not just a mere product to be consumed by tourists. In this article we present one such initiative, La Ponte‑Ecomuséu, working since 2012 on innovative programs of social participation in the creative rehabilitation of heritage and new artistic creation.