About the project
ICH EDU North – Living Musical Heritage is a three-year cross-border cooperation project funded by the Interreg Aurora programme, running from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028. The project aims to strengthen social sustainability by integrating intangible cultural heritage (ICH) – particularly living musical traditions and minority cultures – into education and lifelong learning across the Aurora region, which includes northern Finland and Sweden.Building on the previous project ICH North – Passing on our Musical Heritage, ICH EDU North focuses on developing new educational models, competence development solutions and pedagogical methods for safeguarding, transmitting and activating intangible cultural heritage in formal and non-formal education. The project brings together educators, researchers, tradition bearers and cultural institutions to explore how traditional knowledge, artistic practices and community-based heritage can be meaningfully embedded in contemporary teaching contexts.
The project combines in-person and digital learning formats, the development of pedagogical tools, cross-border networking and joint promotion of educational and career opportunities within the cultural heritage field. A strong emphasis is placed on cultural diversity, inclusion and equal access to education, particularly for minority cultures and underrepresented communities. By strengthening competence in the field of intangible cultural heritage, the project seeks to contribute to sustainable regional development and increased understanding of cultural knowledge as a societal resource.
Key activities include the development of innovative educational solutions, digital learning resources, open-access materials and capacity-building initiatives that support the transmission of traditional skills and musical heritage. The long-term objective is to safeguard cultural diversity while ensuring that musical heritage remains a living, evolving and accessible part of society in the Aurora region.
Project Partners
Centria University of Applied Sciences (Lead Partner)
Kulturakademin
Västernorrlands Museum
Örebro University – School of Music, Theatre and Art
Framnäs Folk High School
Novia University of Applied Sciences
KulturÖsterbotten
The Finnish Folk Music Institute
Project goal
Project Objectives – ICH EDU NorthTo strengthen social sustainability by integrating intangible cultural heritage (ICH) into education and lifelong learning across the Aurora region.
To promote knowledge, awareness and practice of intangible cultural heritage within formal and non-formal educational contexts.
To develop new and expanded educational models and solutions for integrating ICH into teaching and learning processes for different age groups.
To increase competence and skills related to intangible cultural heritage, including through both on-site and digital learning formats.
To promote inclusion and equal opportunities, with particular attention to minority cultures and underrepresented communities in the Aurora region.
To foster collaborative and community-based approaches, bringing together educational institutions, cultural actors and tradition bearers in co-creation processes.
To contribute to the safeguarding of cultural diversity by strengthening educational resources and methods for transmitting ICH.
To enhance regional attractiveness and well-being by positioning intangible cultural heritage as a valuable societal and educational resource.
Mats Granfors
Senior Lecturer