In 2025/2026, the Turaida Museum Reserve and the Tartu University Museum jointly implemented the project Heritage for All: Museum Education in Times of Crisis.
The project organized professional development days, exchange visits and further education events for museum specialists. The knowledge and experience gained during these activities were later used in the development of new exhibitions and educational activities. Special attention was paid to refugees from the Ukrainian war and people whose native language is different from the local language, seeking culturally sensitive and inclusive approaches to museum education. At the same time, the project supported museum educators in their work with students, helping them develop diverse learning activities in the museum that meet the needs of learners.
The project has helped to strengthen the role of museums as open, inclusive and supportive learning environments, where people with different experiences can learn about cultural heritage and build a sense of belonging to it.
As part of the project, the Turaida Museum Reserve has improved accessibility in the Turaida Castle exhibitions. In the new exhibitions “Eight Centuries in Turaida Castle” and “The Seventh Tower of Turaida Castle”, texts in easy language have been prepared and placed. Before the texts were included in the exhibitions, they were tested by clients of the “Wings of Hope” association. A scheme of buildings and construction volumes, supplemented with tactile elements, has been installed in the castle courtyard. Museum employees have improved their knowledge in several training stages, as well as participated in an experience exchange visit to Tartu and hosted colleagues from the Tartu University Museum in Turaida.
One of the goals of the project was to create a handbook based on practical experience, which would be useful in future work not only for the parties involved in the project, but also for a wider audience – especially for European Heritage Label sites. The publication summarises the experiences of Estonian and Latvian museums, with a particular focus on educational activities aimed at different audiences, promoting more equal opportunities for participation and facilitating access to cultural heritage, especially for people who might otherwise face barriers to participation or social exclusion.
Publication in Latvian
Publication in Estonian
Publication in English
The Tartu University Museum and the Turaida Museum Reserve are included in the European Heritage Label.
The project was funded by the European Union, European Heritage Label Office.