Heritage Education and Property Agreements

Heritage education takes many forms, from school visits to heritage sites to university training programs. But what happens when those programs use a heritage site? In the international heritage education program of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poland over 20,000 people visited the sites in Poland, Ireland and Germany. It is a safe bet that they visited at least one heritage site during these programs. As a result, the amount of property used by the University for its educational activities has been substantial.

One issue facing heritage education institutions is the use of heritage properties. In other words, where the heritage education program uses a heritage property, is there a proper form of documentation evidencing the use and who bears the responsibility for ensuring that the property is protected and passes on to the next education institution that may use the property? This is where comprehensive license to use property agreements come into play.

License to use property agreements (also known as licences to use heritage properties), are a written document which help define: In other words the license to use property agreement helps to clarify the conditions under which a heritage property can be used by a heritage education institution. In so doing, it helps protect the heritage property and any heritage values within it. Education institutions using heritage properties have similar objectives as heritage property owners when it comes to conservation of the property. In fact, many heritage education institutions are run by or affiliated with a heritage property owner.

Through the licensing agreement, they are able to establish a written framework within which to operate. Furthermore, it assists both parties in understanding and setting out their respective roles in protecting the heritage property. A license to use property agreement is a great way for heritage education institutions to set down in writing some of the operational aspects of how and when a heritage property can be used.

Promoting best practices in heritage conservation is the goal of The Heritage Educational Portal. By publishing this section on The Legal Gateway, The Heritage Educational Portal aims to provide the heritage education community with good legal practices on various topics such as license to use property agreements.