A Night of Religious Heritage

PP03 addresses a structural gap in Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship: religious heritage sites, despite substantial public investment in their physical restoration, remain functionally mono-dimensional, with use largely confined to liturgical purposes. Their limited accessibility, lack of diversified programming and weak audience engagement result in underutilisation as social, cultural and educational assets, particularly for younger generations and non-regular visitors.
The pilot builds on the good practice “Night of Churches and Open Churches Day” from Latvia, a coordinated initiative based on evening and night-time opening of churches, combined with free access, light cultural programming, guided visits and community-led activities. Its added value lies in its low-threshold format, strong local ownership and joint communication approach, attracting new audiences.
Adapting this model, the pilot action will implement three preparatory workshops and three evening and night-time events in selected sites. It will test replicable measures, including extended opening hours, diversified visitor formats (guided and self-guided), and light- and sound-based interpretation tools (including simple immersive and AR elements). It will also explore participatory approaches (co-creation, storytelling) and small-scale cultural programming.
A strong focus will be placed on communication strategies targeting families, young people and non-regular users. Each event will follow a structured format (3–4 hours), ensuring comparability.
The pilot follows an iterative testing logic: lessons learned will inform subsequent adaptations. Evaluation will combine surveys, interviews, behavioral observation and stakeholder feedback. The pilot will deliver evidence-based, transferable solutions and policy-relevant recommendations to enhance the integration of religious heritage into regional development frameworks.