WP 3 Use of the new media by museums

Intention of the HERMES Project is to show that protection of cultural heritage can best be done by including promotion of cultural heritage by use of the new media by museums - case studies in Weimar, Krakow and Volos

In the application, where the intentions of the HERMES project are being explained, there appears already the crucial reference to ‘space’: space for identity seeking processes, space for exhibiting cultural heritage and space for an inter-exchange of ideas about the ancient, recent and present past. As a matter of fact this ‘present past’ or a present hardly experienced already fading fast in the background means there is a need to keep up with changes while not forgetting what did occur and happen. As platforms of communication about these rapid transitions, museums offer here another entry into the world of learning and of experiencing. By using new media and extending the visit to museums to use afterwards websites as references, museums open up really a path to deepening knowledge and experiences about man and his world.

“The intention of the HERMES project is to promote and to support sustainable regional development by innovative interactions of cultural heritage and the new electronic media. In particular, the project aims to upgrade regional identity by improving the perception of heritage with the help of new media tools and to maintain historical sites by new uses. While doing so, cultural and media institutions from 8 CADSES states will be working together based on partnership. Already during the project development, media enterprises have been involved as well. That’s how HERMES helps to prepare concrete large-scale investments in an attractive growth sector.

All HERMES activities are based on a completely new approach of interaction between urban, cultural and media spaces which will become very important in regard to future strategies of spatial development in the entire CADSES territory. Furthermore, the project concretely effects both the economic development and the preservation of cultural heritage sites in the regions involved.

With the project the following main activities will be carried out:

Trans-national feasibility studies and pilot projects as a basis for media promotion and tourist use of common European Heritage Roots (Ancient Greece, Byzantine culture, Romanesque/Gothic, Classical Period, Industrial Heritage, Deformation of European Cultures by Fascism and Totalitarianism, Modern/ Bauhaus);
Preservation and redevelopment of cultural heritage sites based on trans-national concepts by introducing new utilisation and settling of SME, especially in the field of new media;
Promoting the attractiveness of cultural heritage sites by electronic forms of presentation and communication, with special focus on young people and tourists (i.e. Heritage-Internet-Cafés);
Building up a CADSES Heritage-Internet-Radio with the involvement of radio stations from 8 countries, developing new tools of Internet Live-Streaming as well as presenting CADSES Heritage-Media-Bridges (“virtual cultural routes”);
Providing CADSES-wide open educational and qualification offers for young experts and multipliers (continuous capacity building);
Establishing a sustainable, long term HERMES network as future tool of communication and co-operation within the CADSES space.”

Since museums technology, and specifically the one linked to new media, allows the introduction of ‘virtual reality’ with almost unknown dimensions of possibilities to extend man’s imagination, the ability to analyse and deconstruct fleeting images or sense impressions is altered greatly. Therefore space created by these museums becomes the most important concept for purpose of development based on the integration of cultural heritage into contemporary and modern settings using new technologies, new media and other communication tools to further identity building processes.

New institutional structure: innovative network of museums

Aside from creating within HERMES a cultural heritage network of Internet Radios, the new museums created in conjunction with the HERMES initiative indicate another type of institutional structure. In due course of the project, Volos shall propose to the HERMES partners the creation of an innovative network between museums. This proposals follows upon what was already conceived within CIED by Prof. Maurizio Carta from the university of Palermo.

The prospects of having in future an “innovative network” and active link between museums will have to be examined in due course of the project’s life time. Definitely the city of Volos with its intention to create three new museums besides the already existing archaeological one indicates a massive intervention is being prepared in the cultural landscape of that city aiming to regain its original regional importance. Volos shall create a museum for industrial heritage, a history of the city and a special museum focusing on the Myth and Experiences associated with the Argonauts. This will include navigation and travel experiences into the Black Sea: a new dimension for Europe.

Towards an European innovative museums network:

By substantiating the diverse history within Europe and within the CADSES space contribution to common identity shall be made. This should complement the “conscious, permanent and co-ordinated communication around cultural and other themes by means of a common (Internet-) radio” and alter the cultural landscape of Europe.
The until now hardly recognised influence of museum spaces upon spatial / regional development regarding identity and social acceptance can be essentially reinforced by such an innovative network.
While HERMES will overall seek to establish “cross-border interactive communication structures via internet”, museums can link up in another, very sustainable way with “regional debates and transport them into the whole European Union as well as give feed back to regional development” by opening up thematic perspectives e.g. Ethnology Museum in Krakow to natural life, equally sustainable life styles or the Argonaut museum in Volos to linkages to regions neighbouring the Black Sea and furthermore connected by a common mythological element that lives on in the present.
The co-operation of museums within an European network would “aim to utilize the Internet Radio as tool to communicate and to promote cultural heritage”, thereby improving communication in forms of informing about cultural bridges and historical themes common to all Europeans. This “will improve and intensify reports about the European Union and European topics inside the regions and border-crossing”.

This can be seen asentrypoint into anInnovative Network of Museums in Europe in cooperation with already existing networks and organisations.

Objectives, outcomes and long term impact

HERMES follows broadly speaking three main objectives in anticipation of what outcomes shall be realized by the project expected to have a long term impact upon the CADSES space.

“Continuation of the discussion about the role of culture as an active factor of regional development as started in 1996 by the Article 10 – ERDF pilot projects; promotion of a substantial understanding of politicians, planners and actors in cultural fields concerning the important role can play cultural heritage in regional development strategies as well as a more integrated perception of urban-rural, cultural and media spaces; stronger consideration of these factors in regional development programs at regional, national and EU level”.

“Strengthening the recognition for common European Heritage Roots as reference for an common European identity; intensifying the consciousness and introducing new uses of the respective regional heritage as cultural-economical motivation for ‚active staying’; better protection of the corresponding cultural artefacts and heritage sites. “

“Pushing forward the sustainable long-term development of the participating less favoured regions through exemplary pilot projects; preparing of large scale investments by encouraging the settlement of media enterprises on heritage sites, above all in Middle and South Eastern European states.”

Concrete results

Within HERMES following concrete results have been named:

Re-development of heritage sites including new uses and multi-media presentations:

Preservation of 6 European wide significant heritage sites in Weimar/DE, Dobbiaco/IT, Volos/GR, Krakow/PL and Sofia/BG.
Establishment of at least 10 SME in historical buildings; creation/securing of least 15 permanent jobs, especially in the new media sector
Creation of 3 Heritage-Internet-Cafés, establishment of 4 multimedia museums

Set-up of a CADSES-wide Internet-Heritage-Radio:

Common Internet-platform for radio stations in 8 countries;
regular, common broadcasts (about 100 broadcasts a year);

Working out common European Heritage Roots:

1 trans-national feasibility study about media promotion and tourist uses of common European Heritage Roots (“virtual cultural routes”);

CADSES-wide open offers for education, qualification and capacity building:

5 international workshops, 5 international summer courses, 1 international conference

Creation of sustainable HERMES network (1 long-term network)

Within museums new job perspectives arise out of following combination of factors:

museum management and coordination requires a high levelled approach to resources made available by cities, regions and states within the European Union for the protection and promotion of cultural heritage
curators and exhibition organizers will interact with universities and other places of learning not only to promote and to deepen the educational path of pupils and students, but to interact with innovative activities having to do with the overall ‘cultural adaptation’ of society to the Information and Knowledge Society
museums technology will extend the jobs of graphic designers, set constructors, technicians, etc. into new fields and include web masters, digitalization specialists, new media workers
museum guides will require another training if they are going to do their jobs well

Over and beyond that it is expected that the interrelationship between museum and local/regional population shall alter as museums start becoming vocal institutions leading public opinion and interest to deal with very specific issues that mark continuity and discontinuity between then and now. This means that

interactive museums depend upon a visitor program that includes the entire community adopting the museum as theirs e.g. Carol Becker speaks about the people of Brooklyn speaking about their Brooklyn museum and which means the entire local population is not indifferent even if there provocative exhibitions such as SENSATION which the then mayor of New York wanted to prohibit
American museums have spaces which are free to the public while other spaces can only be entered by payment or being a member out of which develops an entire program of honorary members of the museum which not only attend to the funding and exhibition program of the museum but go together on study trips and excursions as linked to the thematic perspectives of the museum.
Museums need no longer to show just the past but can offer exhibition spaces for altering exhibitions and thereby use that space to indicate how the museum understands and promotes linkages between its collections and what is going on the world now. Within that broader range of intellectual and art historical discourses, the museum begins to fulfil a role within the Community linked even to such important functions as the Truth Commission in South Africa leading to the hosting of a Biennale dedicated to overcoming Racism and Genocide, Violence and Discrimination.

Target groups, beneficiaries

The HERMES project altogether has in view following target groups and beneficiaries:

Inhabitants in the participating structurally weak regions, in particular young people: about 2,5 million inhabitants
Cultural establishments: 6 heritage sites; about 500 employees and related experts
Media enterprises: 10 media companies, about 150 media experts
Radio stations: 8 directly participating stations, 30 journalists, about 12 mill. listeners
Users and visitors of cultural establishments: about 150.000 visitors a year
Participants in further qualification courses: about 800 participants, especially young people from the entire CADSES territory
Politicians: about 200 politicians at local, regional, national and EU-level
regional planners: about 200 regional planners at local, regional, national and EU-level

Within the project a more refined examination of target groups can substantiate the success and sustainability of these museum projects. A distinction has to be made between local and foreign visitors whereby both categories indicate the inherent danger of one time visitors e.g. once people feel they have seen it all, they are not expected to return to the museum for a long time unless some other activities unfold there and also a changing program keeps the curiosity and interest alive. A sample test of mental maps people have of their city will indicate to what extend museums is on their mind daily or merely under extraordinary circumstances. If visitors come, what sites of cultural heritage, if at all, will the local residents recommend to their guests to see?

Modern museums will have to examine very carefully their target groups and who shall be the beneficiaries. Especially if there are a number of cultural houses (theatres, galleries, art cafes) the range of experiences offered by museums must address all generations and visitors alike whether now from abroad or just around the corner.

Expected impacts

HERMES in the application has made very explicit what impacts the project shall have in spatial terms. There is a cultural strategy entailed insofar as ‘multiplier effects’ are counted upon to take things further:

strengthened spatial integration of the CADSES territory , permanent involvement of experts and multipliers from Middle and South Eastern Europe;
greater consciousness about the active role of culture as regional development factor amongst politicians, planners and creators of culture;
comprehensive perception of urban, cultural and media spaces as part of regional development programs at regional, national and EU-level and promotion thereof as ‚standard’;
reinforced public consciousness and knowledge about common European cultural artefacts and heritage sites;
intensified investments and continuous use of heritage sites as best form of protection;
reinforced regional and European identity (focusing on Middle and South Eastern European regions), decreasing number of young people emigrating;
sustainable strengthening of economic power and attractiveness of the participating less-favoured regions by means of exemplary pilot projects;
regular broadcasts by the Internet-Heritage-Radios, transition to an European Internet Radio

Clearly the most important impact shall be once large investments are made to set up and to promote special museum. The Guggenheim museum in Bilbao would be such a case. This means HERMES links promotion of cultural heritage to tourism and thereby to sustainable development. It will have to be monitored and evaluated if that proves to be valid for the praxis in the regions where the HERMES project is being implemented.

Outputs and deliverables

Within HERMES the linkages between museums, Internet Cafes and Internet Radio will become a definite output as a result of further going interactions between these different spheres of dissemination of experiences and qualifications. For instance, the multi media design for the Wieland museum foresees three levels of sophistication that any visitor can go through by choice and at the end of which the complexity of factors will be brought together at that particular level of reflection and in depth understanding of the historical figure Wieland. This is clearly stated in the application of HERMES, for:

“In accordance to the logical internal framework, the outputs and deliverables of the HERMES project are realised in close interaction: Feasibility studies form the basis of the envisaged pilot projects. The outputs of the pilot projects in will form accordance with the basic prerequisites the materials for dissemination and generalisation as well as for the educational and qualification offers.”

Within this framework some pilot projects are being strived for.

“Type III pilot projects will improve the presentation of museums and historical sites by new multimedia installations

12/2004: multimedia installation of the Wieland museum Ossmannstedt near Weimar/DE,
12/2005: Completion of virtual museum of the Argonauts in Volos/GR,
12/2005: multimedia presentation of national museum Boyana-church in Sofia/BG,
06/2006: multimedia presentation of the Ethnographic Museum Krakow/PL.”

In addition, there will be converted the Szymbark castle near Krakow into a museum type of cultural centre. This part of the HERMES project shall be initiated by the Malopolsak Culture Institute.

Work package 3

HERMES is sub-divided into 5 work packages, the third one dealing with museums and the introduction of new technology or new media as a way to present and to promote cultural heritage. It is foreseen that most of these sites shall be equipped with Internet Cafes.

Realisation of innovative pilot projects in outstanding European heritage sites (focus: use of the electronic media): - exemplary restoration, new media and tourist uses as well as attraction of SME’s to heritage sites in Weimar/DE (Wielandgut Ossmannstedt, Media house former Wilhelm-Ernst-high school), in Volos/GR (former brick factory Tsalapatas), in Dobbiaco/IT (former Grandhotel) and in Krakow/PL (Szymbark heritage complex) - exemplary use of electronic forms for presentation and documentation in heritage sites: multimedia installations for museums in Weimar/DE (new concept of Wieland Museum Ossmannstedt), in Volos/GR (Virtual Museum for Argonauts, New Design for Museums of Tsalapatas, History of the City and Argonauts) and in Sofia/BG (multi-media presentation of UNESCO world cultural heritage National Museum Boyana-church) - set-up of exemplary Heritage-Internet-Cafés in historical sites in Weimar/DE, Dobbiaco/IT and Volos/GR
Coordination Dr. Hatto Fischer, DEMEKAV Volos/GR

Milestones

Milestones in the implementation process are as follows:

No. WP	No. Milestone	month of completion	Description of milestone	Deliverables
3	3.1	12/2003	- restoration of media house / former Wilhelm-Ernst-high school in Weimar/DE (preparatory phase) - restoration of Wieland estate Ossmannstedt near Weimar/DE (first phase) - media and tourist use of former Grandhotel Dobbiaco/IT	- architectural planning, user concept, business plan of media house / former Wilhelm-Ernst-high school in Weimar/DE - completion of first construction phase of Wieland estate Ossmannstedt near Weimar/DE - annual business plan 2004 of the Cultural Centre Grandhotel Dobbiaco/IT
	3.2	06/2004	- restoration of media house / former Wilhelm-Ernst-high school in Weimar/DE (first phase of construction) - first planning for revitalisation of Szymbark heritage complex near Krakow/PL	- completion of first construction phase of media house Wilhelm-Ernst-school Weimar/DE - basic concept for reconstruction of Szymbark heritage complex near Krakow/PL (conversion into regional cultural and media centre)
	3.3	09/2004	- establishment of Heritage-Internet-Café at Wieland estate Ossmannstedt - establishment of Heritage-Internet-Café at Cultural Centre Grandhotel Dobbiaco/IT	- Heritage-Internet-Cafés in Ossmannstedt near Weimar/DE and in the Cultural Centre Grandhotel Dobbiaco/IT in operation
	3.4	12/2004	- restoration of Wieland estate Ossmannstedt near Weimar/DE - final reconstruction of media house / former Wilhelm-Ernst-high school in Weimar/DE - producing a multimedia film for promoting the former brick factory Tsalapatas in Volos/GR - media and tourist use of Cultural Centre Grandhotel Dobbiaco/IT	- external completion of Wieland estate Ossmannstedt near Weimar/DE - completion of media house / former Wilhelm-Ernst-high school in Weimar/DE - multimedia film - annual business plan 2005 of the Cultural Centre Grandhotel Dobbiaco/IT
	3.5	06/2005	- preparation of multimedia-presentation National Museum Boyana Church Sofia/BG - establishment of Multimedia Wieland Museum in Ossmannstedt near Weimar/DE - establishing of mediaSME’s in the former Wilhelm-Ernst-school Weimar/DE	- first extension phase in build-up of multimedia-presentation of National Museum Boyana Church Sofia/BG - multimedia-Wieland-Museum in Ossmannstedt near Weimar/DE in operation - 5 SME’s being settled there

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