About us
FLAME – European Centre for the Safeguarding of Living Heritage
FLAME is a regional hub dedicated to strengthening the implementation of the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Europe and beyond.
Established in 2024 and based in Brussels, FLAME builds bridges between communities, professionals, institutions, and networks. The Centre promotes inclusive, participatory, and impact-driven approaches to safeguarding living heritage as a force for social cohesion, creativity, and sustainable development.
Through collaboration, research, and capacity building, FLAME supports the recognition, transmission, and integration of living heritage into public policies, education, and community life.
FLAME works at the crossroads of policy, practice, and knowledge-sharing.
The Centre facilitates dialogue between stakeholders to build a more connected and inclusive safeguarding ecosystem.
Guided by two cross-cutting themes — inclusion and impact — FLAME encourages methods that value diverse voices and demonstrate how living heritage contributes to well-being, resilience, and sustainable societies.
FLAME operates through a multi-stakeholder governance model, ensuring transparency, collaboration, and representation.
Its activities are coordinated by a Secretariat based in Brussels and guided by a Governing Board and a Working Group that steer the Centre’s strategic direction and manage its development — including the process toward recognition as a UNESCO Category 2 Centre.
The Centre collaborates closely with UNESCO-trained facilitators, accredited NGOs, national commissions, and research institutions across Europe and beyond.
Looking Ahead
FLAME is evolving with a clear vision: to make living heritage a driver of inclusion, resilience, and creativity for the societies of tomorrow.
As it grows, the Centre will continue to expand its network, share knowledge, and develop innovative programmes that bring people together around the living heritage that connects us all.