Cultural heritage data shared at BOCCF ‘ReInHerit’ meet

The Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation (BOCCF), as major coordinator of the research programme Horizon 2020 ‘Redefining the future of cultural heritage, through a disruptive model of sustainability’ (ReInHerit), held the initiative’s first post-launch live meeting on March 28 and 29.

Opening the meeting, which took place at the BOCCF facilities, project coordinator Dr. Ioanna Hadjicosti expressed pride in the smooth running of the programme, as well as in the harmonious collaboration among its partners. Thereafter, partner representatives offered presentations on the programme’s course and development.

Priority on museum digital collaboration practices

ReInHerit aspires to disrupt the current status quo of communication, collaboration and innovation exchange between museums and cultural heritage sites in Europe, and beyond, by adopting digital collaboration practices as the main aspect of museum management. The programme’s mission is to be achieved through the creation of on innovative digital hub.

The programme’s first year in operation comprised mainly of data collection through research, both qualitative (Questionnaires) and quantitative (Focus Groups). More specifically, over the course of this period, consortium members collected a large volume of data (approximately 3,000 questionnaires from all European countries) while more than 80 professionals from the cultural heritage and technology fields took part in the Focus Groups. In terms of cultural management through digital tools, therefore, the research shed light on the major needs of both culture professionals, as well as the audience. In this way, foundations were laid for a digital hub’s creation.

An innovative model of sustainable heritage management

ReInHerit proposes a particularly innovative model of sustainable heritage management, which will prompt the creation of a dynamic network. This network will comprise of key stakeholders from the field of cultural heritage, experts on the technical management of cultural heritage, researchers, state museums, regional and local museums, as well as representatives of European Heritage Label sites.

Through the digital platform scheduled to be created,  tools and resources associated with training, tourism, conservation, preservation, knowledge creation, content use/reuse, illicit trafficking of goods – necessary for the sustainable management of culture – will be shared. Thus, ReInHerit invites us to ‘re-inherit’ our culture differently, in viable, sustainable, productive and participatory ways.

The Programme, launched on March 1, 2021, will run for 36 months, having more than 100 researchers as participants. Dr. Ioanna Hadjicosti, Director of the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, is the Project Coordinator, while the BOCCF’s research team is comprised of Dr. Christodoulos Hadjichristodoulou, Dr. Polina Nikolaou, Dr. Monika Asimenou and Demetris Bourboulas.

Also participating in RelnHerit as partners are:

• The Cycladic Museum and Blue Shield from Greece
• The University of Florence – MICC, Florence, Italy and Consorzio Materahub Industrie Culturali e Creative from Italy
• ASOCIACIÓN ARTE SOSTENIBLE from Spain
• The University of Graz (Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities) and STadtmuseum GrazGmbH from Austria
• The European Cultural Tourism Network from Belgium
• The Arcada University of Applied Sciences from Finland
• The University of Nicosia (School of Law) and the Research Centre of Interactive Media Smart Systems and Emerging Technologies (CYENS) from Cyprus

For further information about ReInHerit, please visit: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101004545 and www.reinherit.eu