The Heritage Leadership School (HLS) takes place in the heart of the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage Site, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1994. Its unique setting is full of visual contrasts embodied in historic buildings, street patterns and small architecture. However, these contrasts resonate on the vibrant life Scotland’s inspiring capital, a place where a broad range of interests meet. They are often conflicted and include issues related to planning and development management, mass tourism and climate change. These challenges require clear leadership and effective management, which are generally missing in the sector. The experience gained through these actions will form the basis for the creation of an HLS that will be included in the AtlaS.WH project.
 
Building on the 40 years of experience in conserving and managing of Edinburgh’s historic city centre, Edinburgh World Heritage organise the HLS for groups of professionals working in historic city management. HLS is a capacity building platform designed for local and international professionals. Its learning objectives cover issues related to leadership qualities analysed through theories, case studies and their application in own context through peer to peer learning. The programme also includes specialised modules covering strategy development, capacity building, community engagement. All of them are designed to inspire, motivate and provide practical tools to professionals facing some of the most complex challenges of historic city management.   
The latest edition of the HLS took place on 21-25 October and was dedicated to a group of 30 professionals and students from Turkey’s South East Anatolia as a part of the KORU project. The HLS involves some of the most respected leaders of the sector in Scotland, who share learnings coming from their own paths to leadership.
Barbara Cummins, the Director of Heritage at Historic Environment Scotland presented her own experience of becoming one of the most inspiring leaders in the sector. Barbara said: ‘We have our own international strategy, we want to engage with the rest of the world. I think it is important that we share good practice and learn from others as well, we are not the only country that does good heritage management; that we help build capacity in other countries that do not have expertise we have; and that we promote Scotland to the world, and Edinburgh in particular…’.
Xerxes Mazda, the Director of Collections at the National Museum of Scotland said: ‘It is really important that we share everything we know with as many people as we can, nationally and internationally across the world. Especially given that Edinburgh is one the leading centres for heritage management and is very prepared to share that. It has to be a two-way thing, we have to be capable of listening to other, working together and finding new solutions for new problems all the time. Combining out knowledge makes us stronger’.
Krzysztof Jan Chuchra, International Programme Manager at Edinburgh World Heritage said: ‘Edinburgh’s Heritage Leadership School is a bespoke leadership and management training programme for emerging leaders of heritage management. Its programme is made of modules that are tailored to specific needs such as: how to build capacity across the sector starting from own personal development and performance management, how to communicate effectively to pitch your message, or how to drive project delivery through high level outcomes. These are essential skills, which way too often are missing in the sector and the HLS is there to address this challenge.’

URL:  https://ewh.org.uk/edinburgh-steps-in-to-help-save-turkeys-heritage-at-risk/