Bringing European cultural heritage into the future
The EU-funded ReInHerit project is redefining the future of cultural heritage by changing the status quo of communication, collaboration and innovation exchange between museums and cultural heritage sites. Since its launch in March 2021, it has been working to connect cultural heritage collections and sites and present Europe’s cultural heritage to citizens and tourists in its wider historical and geographical context. ReInHerit’s innovative model of sustainable heritage management is based on a digital ecosystem with an open and collaborative space where museums, heritage sites, policymakers, cultural heritage professionals and enthusiasts can experiment, share and innovate. The ReInHerit Digital Hub hosts the project’s digital exhibitions, videos and images from immersive performances, as well as apps that will enable users to engage with cultural heritage in innovative ways. Heritage professionals will be able to find webinars, a toolkit and other resources to promote and support cultural tourism in museums and sites. The Digital Hub also has a networking platform for users to connect and share experiences.
Webinars and podcasts
The first two ReInHerit webinars were held in November 2022, with a focus on digital and emerging technology skills. ‘Artificial Intelligence and Computer Vision for Cultural Heritage’ was delivered on 18 November by Associate Prof. Marco Bertini and researcher Paolo Mazzanti from project partner University of Florence’s Media Integration and Communication Center (MICC). The webinar provided cultural heritage professionals interested in digital innovation and AI tools with guidance on increasing visitor engagement through new technologies. ‘Engaging Museum Visitors with Gamification Apps’ was held on 30 November, once more by Associate Prof. Bertini and this time accompanied by MICC researcher Filippo Principi. The webinar introduced two ReInHerit Toolkit apps (Strike a Pose and Face Fit) designed to enhance enjoyment and learning of museum artworks. The two apps aim to challenge users to analyse and replicate works of art using their own body and face, creating personalised representations that can be shared on social media. Museums Up, a series of podcasts produced by the ReInHerit project, gives listeners the opportunity to explore issues concerning museums and cultural heritage management through professionals. Presented in a direct and informal manner, they deal with topics such as making museums and cultural heritage sites more relevant to younger audiences, curating travelling exhibitions, and using AI and computer vision to enhance the museum experience. The podcasts are hosted by Jaime López of project partner Arte Sostenible, Spain.
A multisensory museum experience
ReInHerit (Redefining the future of cultural heritage, through a disruptive model of sustainability) project coordinator Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation has also recently launched a new multisensory project called Aisthiseis (from the Greek word for senses). Through this project, it is making permanent changes to its museums to enhance the participation in culture of vulnerable people and individuals with disabilities. “This effort reflects the belief espoused by both the foundation and the bank that every society is defined primarily by its culture, and in culture no one is redundant, and no one should be prevented from participating for the benefit of society,” reports an article in the ‘Cyprus Mail’. Initiatives include permanent videotaped guided tours in Cypriot sign language and multisensory tours for people with various disabilities. For more information, please see: ReInHerit project website
Keywords
ReInHerit, cultural heritage, heritage site, museum, digital hub, tourist, culture
