From its beginning in 2001, EXARC prove to be an international network in Europe. The informal contacts between colleagues has led to several kinds of cooperation, some of those as EU project. The ease with which EXARC can provide with likeminded and likewise organised partners across Europe has been put to use in (among others) two Culture 2000 projects (Delphi and liveARCH), the predecessor of the present “Culture” Programme of the EU. EXARC also has been successful in linking a dozen of its members into the Life Long Learning Programme, under Grundtvig. Another Culture application, OpenArch is on its way.
Besides that, match making between museums has been done on INTERREG level as well as with LEADER+ projects. There have of course been more plans than actual projects, partly about the exchange of living history professionals, setting up an education for staff of archaeological open air museums or about the interlinking of knowledge bases. The work still continues and will probably lead to more chances for cooperation between EXARC members.
Since 2004, EXARC has an own consultant, with archaeological background, Geir Sør-Reime from the Rogaland County Council in Norway. He already helped several EU projects on its way (both within and outside EXARC), all of them with a cultural theme as point of view. Roeland Paardekooper from EXARC has done much of the coordination work when applying for EU funding, he is the first to contact with questions regarding EU and EXARC. |
