The project “Redefining the future of cultural heritage, through a disruptive model of sustainability (ReInHerit)” is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant No 101004545, Funding Scheme: Coordination and Support Action) and runs for three years (2021-2024).
The Team
The team consists of 12 partners, including universities, research and innovation centres, museums and policy makers, coming from 7 countries. Specifically the team partners are the: University of Florence (MICC) and Consorzio Materahub Industrie Culturali e Creative from Italy, Cycladic Museum and Blue Shield from Greece, CYENS and the University of Nicosia (School of Law) from Cyprus, Arcada University of Applied Sciences from Finland, Asociacion Arte Sostenible from Spain, European Cultural Tourism Network from Belgium, University of Graz and Stadtmuseum GrazGmbH from Austria, The Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation (based in Nicosia, Cyprus) coordinates the project.
The ReInHerit Digital Hub
To address the rapidly evolving technological, professional and environmental challenges of the cultural heritage sector, the ReInHerit project will develop a Digital Hub to provide cultural heritage stakeholders with an open and collaborative space to experiment, share and innovate in an egalitarian manner. The innovative technological solutions offered by the ReInHerit Digital Hub will facilitate the development of a European cultural heritage network, open to all stakeholders, with the aim to enable the communication and collaboration within the sector; in other words, a digital cultural heritage ecosystem will be formed. The Digital Hub will be structured in two sections: one for cultural heritage professionals and one for the audiences.
The section targeted to professionals will include a Toolkit on the use of digital technologies in museums and cultural heritage sites. Specifically, the Toolkit will provide guidelines and prototypes for developing a) technology-assisted immersive performances, b) digital exhibitions and c) educational and smart tourism applications. The Digital Hub will also host webinars and resources (including best practices) on cultural heritage management. The section for the audiences will contain information and links for the ReInHerit activities, digital applications and exhibitions; this includes the e-shop, where items, inspired from the 3 museums-members of the ReInHerit team, will be available.
This pooling of resources within the Digital Hub will enhance the innovation potentials of small-and medium-size organizations, as they will have access to resources that will address their specific needs on cultural heritage skills and cultural heritage management. At the same time, the Digital Hub will increase public awareness of European cultural heritage and its offered digital solutions for museum/cultural heritage services, such as applications for immersive performances, will facilitate the co-creation of cultural content. Importantly, the process of co-creation with all stakeholders begins from the beginning of the Digital Hub’s development as it’s the core of the ReInHerit approach to cultural heritage management.
The ReInHerit Methodology
All relevant stakeholders (heritage professionals, public authorities, researchers, audiences) will be involved in the implementation of the project by adopting a bottom-up and co-creation approach. In the first stage of the project, cultural heritage stakeholders (professionals, researchers, public policy makers and audiences) across Europe have actively participated, through focus groups, in the mapping of the sector’s needs, challenges and practices.
Based on the challenges and needs identified by these stakeholders, the ReInHerit team has produced two surveys, one for the cultural heritage professionals and one for the audiences. The aim of these two surveys is to chart, on a bigger scale, the needs and interest of cultural heritage professionals and audiences on the various tools that will be offered by the ReInHerit Digital Hub.
The findings will be used as a guide for the development, during the second stage of the project, of: a) the ReInHerit Toolkit (the specialized digital tools, resources and training courses for the professionals); and b) the digital tools (digital exhibitions, educational and smart tourism applications, and two technology-assisted immersive performances) which will provide museum and cultural heritage site audiences with unique experiences.
Through this co-creation process, the survey participants, will not only give us valuable insights into how to produce resources that will facilitate skills and knowledge development, but also, they will become members of a European cultural heritage community actively involved in enhancing the capacities, relevance and, thus, sustainable development of our sector.
Visit the social media accounts of ReInHerit:
For more information about the project, please visit www.reinherit.eu.