Greetings from the META-MUSEUM Coordinator
It is with great pleasure that we inaugurate this newsletter related to the META-MUSEUM project funded under the Horizon Europe programme in the call Research and innovation on cultural heritage and CCIs – 2023 (HORIZON-CL2-2023-HERITAGE-01).
The consortium consists of 14 partners representing 10 European countries: Italy, France, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain and Sweden. Three archaeological museums are part of the consortium: the MAC in Barcelona, the Egyptian Museum in Turin and the MuséoParc in Alésia.
Europe invited to contribute to a greater awareness of the transformative nature of cultural heritage, in order to increase the confidence of European citizens concerned and frightened by the dramatic contemporary changes.
Our initial reflections gravitated around the meaning of the transformative Nature of Cultural Heritage, and this led us to think about what confidence is.
We have therefore launched a very complex, transdisciplinary challenge, bringing together the expertise of museographers and neuroscientists, CH communicators, sociologists and computer scientists. The aim is to achieve greater knowledge, with the resulting tools, on the type of response to Cultural Heritage encounter: the basic assumption is that an encounter becomes transformative when not only the intellectual but also the emotional side is involved. The emotional reaction generates a subtle, inner transformation, and induces the seed of reflection with which everyone continues on their personal path of growth and transformation.
The project therefore on the one hand seeks to understand the manifestations of confidence, and on the other hand how the transformative aspect of heritage. And, ultimately, how the former can be enhanced by an understanding of the second. With the support and availability of the partner museums associated museums, experiments will be conducted which measure both emotional and intellectual response to different stimuli. A new communication landscape can emerge, where certain approaches can be challenged or at least mutually contaminated.
Best wishes to us all!
Valeria MINUCCIANI
Coordinator of the META-MUSEUM project
Greetings from the Project Officer
Cultural heritage plays a crucial role in shaping our identities, providing a sense of belonging, and offering a window into the past. It serves as a reflection of our shared history and a guiding force for the future. From tangible monuments and landscapes to intangible traditions and practices, cultural heritage is constantly evolving and in an era of rapid cultural, social, and technological change, this dynamic process is more evident than ever. In this context, the growing recognition of heritage, as a source of resilience and adaptability, offer significant potential for societal transformation. By increasing awareness of heritage’s role in shaping our societies, we can foster a more confident approach to change, turning uncertainty into opportunity. The projects funded under the Cluster 2 Horizon Europe 2023 call topic HERITAGE-01-04 Cultural heritage in transformation – facing change with confidence, have the purpose to contribute to explore the ongoing evolution of cultural heritage, discovering how a deeper understanding of its transformative nature can help individuals and communities navigate the challenges of a rapidly changing world.
META-MUSEUM project has the potential to provide an essential contribution for mobilising multidisciplinary expertise, providing evidence-based principles and guidelines, improving more participation, democratic access and understanding of Cultural Heritage. The specific proposed transdisciplinary approach and methodology, which also includes three very diverse pilot studies is very interesting and innovative.
Together with the other projects funded under the same topic, I trust that the META-MUSEUM project will greatly support in the aim to develop sustainable, impactful approaches that can be applied across Europe, supporting communities in embracing change and ensuring the continued relevance of cultural heritage in a dynamic world. I am very pleased to monitor the work ahead and I am looking forward to the achievement of the first results.
Hinano SPREAFICO D. F.
Project Adviser
European Research Executive Agency, established by the European Commission Unit C1 Inclusive Society
Policy Brief
The project aims to build discussion and share views around the potential social, cultural and economic benefits that could stem from a broader and tighter relation to Cultural Heritage when faced with the major changes and challenges of contemporary society.
The partnership with the three “associated partner” museums, and with other cultural institutions interested in sharing best practices and challenges, can contribute to the definition of methods and actions targeting the inclusive engagement of individuals, aimed at broadening and deepening the understanding of the transformative nature of cultural heritage.
Participation in the Lead User Panel (LUP) by museums interested in critical discussions on the project themes may include different types of museums, in terms of size and mission. The dialogue between actors working in different contexts and who have experimented with interesting experiences for their audiences allows for a reflection on the role that cultural heritage can play in the lives of citizens.
With the support and availability of the partner museums, experiments will be conducted to measure both emotional and intellectual responses to different stimuli, while co-creation experiences will be developed. The results can be shared with LUP participants to build methods, approaches, and content that test a broader cultural, geographical, political, and socioeconomic diversity.
A new communicative landscape may emerge, in which known approaches could be up for discussion promoting a mutual contamination between them. Museums and cultural workers will be able to receive guidance, suggestions, and practical tools, while citizens will be able to approach heritage from new – and improved in efficacy – perspectives.
We invite you to express your interest in joining the project action.
Looking forward to a chance to meet and discuss!
Michela BENENTE
Vice-coordinator of the META-MUSEUM project
Dear reader,
The introduction you have just read was an addition specific to this first issue inaugurating the newsletter. We now leave you to the following section, already structured as our future issues, providing you with some insights about the ongoing work and what has happened since the start a couple of months ago.
Enjoy your reading!
META-MUSEUM kick off meeting, 14-15 October 2024, Turin
The META-MUSEUM project has officially kicked off! This ambitious EU-funded initiative aims to revolutionise the museum experience by combining neuroscience, museology, and technology. To learn more about the project’s goals, and the exciting discussions that took place during the kick-off meeting, visit the link.
Insights from Prof. François Mairesse’s keynote speech: A travel through cultural mediation
The ambition of META-MUSEUM project finds an important point of reference in the scientific contribution of Professor Mairesse. For this reason, we invited the professor to give a lecture, which, by offering a fascinating historical overview on the crucial theme of mediation, introduced the work and engaged even the partners with a more technical background.
Follow the link to read the summary of the contribution through the words of René Capovin from the EMA team.
News from the META-MUSEUM
Theoretical Framework and TransForMeans Theory
Work Package 2 (WP2) of the META-MUSEUM project focuses on building a robust theoretical framework to design, implement, and assess project activities. By adopting a transdisciplinary approach, WP2 explores the transformative nature of cultural heritage (CH) and its ability to foster empathy, resilience, and societal confidence. Key tasks include analysing stakeholder perspectives and audience perceptions, defining representative participant samples for experimental studies, and establishing a comprehensive assessment and interpretation model. These efforts will guide the iterative development of the TransForMeans Theory (TMt), an innovative tool to measure and enhance CH’s societal impact. WP2 also includes the creation of questionnaires and educational content to ensure the framework’s practical application in diverse environments such as museums, laboratories, and hospitals. Read more…
Experimentations in Museums – MuséoParc Alésia
On November 18th, EU Horizon META-MUSEUM project kicked off WP6 – Experimentation in Museums with the first survey for future implementation of the first Pilot.
Valeria Minucciani (PC), Michela Benente (VC) – POLITO, Ying SUN – UNI JENA, Jaroslaw Kowalski – OPI-PIB and Charina Knutson – NCK all met in MuséoParc Alésia (associated Partner) as delegates from institutions in charge of designing in-museum pilot implementation. Here they were met by staff Mathilde Le Piolot-Ville, Manager of Cultural Action Department, and Delphine Chalaye, Cultural Mediator, who accompanied delegations during their visit to the museum, later joined by General Dicrector Laurent Bourdereau and his delegate Thomas Pascal for a debriefing and to consider possible paths with a view to the experimentation phase.
Surveys in museums are paramount for sharing ideas and effective experiment design; thanks to the exchange of expertise between Museum Partners and the Consortium it will be possible to target topics, areas and objects for implementation towards the goal of broadening access and understanding Cultural Heritage through a richer and more incisive experience for everybody.
Delegations will meet again in Barcelona in the second week of December for another survey, this time in Museu d’Arquelogia de Catalunya.
Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation
The primary goal of the Communication, Dissemination, and Exploitation work package (WP9) is to maximise the project’s impact by disseminating knowledge about its activities and valorising research findings throughout its duration. This newsletter marks the beginning of this effort.
The project’s visual identity, featuring a brain-shaped symbol divided into two hemispheres, serves as a constant reminder of our core scientific inquiry: understanding and potentially influencing mental activities within museums.
We are excited to announce that the first draft of the TransforMeans Theory (TMt) is nearing completion. This theory will form the foundation for upcoming pilot studies and testing in various archaeological museums.
The project’s social media accounts are now active, and the official website is live, providing further information and updates: meta-museum-project.eu. You can follow us on our social media accounts by following the links above.
Invitation for museums to join the META-MUSEUM Lead Users Panel (LUP)
Are you interested in joining the META-MUSEUM? Please download the Letter of Interest, fill it out, and send it to us by email to info@meta-museum-project.eu.
