Understanding Youth and Empowering Cultural Heritage Transformation: A Case Study of HEY Ivrea! Heritage Enhancement Through Youth

Youth engagement in cultural heritage management has attracted growing attention as museums and heritage sites seek to remain relevant in a rapidly changing society. Youth engagement, defined here as the active, meaningful involvement of young people (roughly ages 15-24) in decision-making and creative processes, is widely recognised as crucial for bridging tradition and innovation. These digital-native future custodians bring fresh perspectives and skills, especially in leveraging new technologies for heritage interpretation. Yet despite international calls for participatory approaches, many institutions still struggle to move beyond tokenistic inclusion of youth in heritage governance. This reveals a clear gap in practice: How can cultural sites effectively integrate youth as co-creators (rather than mere audiences) in heritage management?This article addresses that gap by examining ‘HEY Ivrea! Heritage Enhancement Through Youth' - an initiative that pilots a hackathon-inspired participatory model at Ivrea's UNESCO World Heritage Site. The objective is to demonstrate how a cultural site can empower young people as active contributors to both tangible and intangible heritage, and to evaluate the outcomes of this approach. ‘Participatory methods’ in this context refer to collaborative, co-creative techniques (such as hackathons, workshops and living labs) that actively involve youth as stakeholders who are able to generate solutions. By applying these methods, HEY Ivrea! positions youth as partners in preserving and reimagining heritage, rather than passive beneficiaries. In doing so, the project aligns with evolving international frameworks that emphasise inclusive heritage management - from UNESCO conventions highlighting youth participation in contemporary UNESCO youth policies - and ensures that heritage remains a dynamic and inclusive resource for future generations.