How to commemorate?

Commemorations, which seem to have grown in number and scope in recent years, are sometimes criticised for being ossified and repetitive in nature. Yet they are evolving considerably today, putting spectators in the role of protagonists of the commemorations and drawing on every discipline, from the arts to sport, to pass on memory. The challenge for remembrance actions, whether those organised by the State or its public or private partners, at national or local level, lies in coming up with new commemorative practices, combined with prior educational outreach work: explaining the meaning of the commemorations to ensure the adherence of the general public, and in particular young people. Performances, concerts, historical re-enactments and digital devices are so many ways of innovating in commemorations, primarily aimed at a younger generation looking for roots, meaning and future.