Digital meets Culture

Collaboration agreement has started between the SECreTour project and the Grands Sites de France network, in April 2025

New collaborations of SECreTour with the network of the Grands Sites de France

The SECreTour Network is growing!

Created in November 2000, the Grands Sites de France network is a French association under the law of 1901, which brings together local organisations responsible for the stewardship of the Grands Sites.

The network is a very lively centre where people share their experiences and know-how for the sites. It brings together the sites that have already been awarded the “Grand Site de France” label and those which are less advanced and that are still in the study or remediation stages.

What the sites have in common is that they are all looking for innovative functions that allow quality welcome while respecting the spirit of the sites combined with the generation of positive impact on surrounding local economy.

The network also takes part in national and international reflection on the future of these areas of outstanding natural beauty and heritage site, facing their long-term conservation within the context of growing pressure from tourism.

You can find out more about the Grands Sites de France network oline:

https://www.grandsitedefrance.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/r-seau-des-grands-sites-de-france/posts/?feedView=all

https://www.instagram.com/reseaugrandssitesdefrance/

Follow SECreTour online also on the SECreTour project’s website.

Leuven and online, May 14 2025, 6PM CET

“Culture is Not an Industry – 1 year on” lecture by Justin O’Connor hosted at KU Leuven

Organized by KU Leuven’s Faculty of Arts and hosted by DigitGLAM in cooperation with the European Heritage Hub, Professor Justin O’Connor is invited in Leuven to give a engaging lecture on the role of art and culture in today’s society with his newest book “Culture is Not an Industry”. He will reflect on the state of the creative industries and explore how we can reclaim culture for the common good.

The event will take place both online and on site on 14 May 2025, at 6PM CET.

On the projects scope, results, and future plans

EUreka3D and EUreka3D-XR presented at Europeana Aggregators Forum 2025

During this year’s important event of Europeana Aggregators Forum (9-10 April 2025), Valentina Bachi from Photoconsortium delivered a presentation on both EUreka3D and EUreka3D-XR projects.

The presentation went through EUreka3D project’s achievements with the developing of the EUreka3D Data Hub, the digitization and uploading of more than 350 objects on Europeana, capacity building programme and more. Later, the continuation project EUreka3D-XR was presented, highlighting its aim, its tools, scenarios and future plans.

The event had more than 30 people attending online, and many more attended on site.

View and download the presentation here<<<<.

How to help: https://gofund.me/8793f0f1

Join the initiative “Salvem les fotos” to help Valencia save their photographic heritage

On October 29 2024, the Valencian Community in Spain was severely affected by an extreme weather event known as DANA (Isolated Depression at High Levels), which unleashed torrential rains, resulting in catastrophic flooding across the region. In eight hours, parts of Valencia received over a year’s worth of rainfall.

As a response to this disaster, conservators in the region took action to help in any way possible. The initiative Salvem les fotos (Save the Photos) was established to salvage photographs of those affected by this catastrophe. This project is led by the University of Valencia, with the support of the five public universities of the Valencian Community, various institutions and museums, the Spanish Association of Conservators and Restorers (ACRE), and the Spanish Group of the International Center for Conservation (GE IIC).

The scope of the initiative goes beyond salvaging family photographs; it seeks to contribute to the healing and resilience within the community by actively involving its members in the recovery tasks, offering them a sense of purpose, connection, and hope during this challenging time. The main goals of the project are to transmit hope and positivism; to foster social cohesion, to contribute to both individual and community well-being, to strengthen the social network within towns and communities and to fill a void with meaningful purpose and significance. In summary, by recovering these photographic memories and family treasures, the initiative aims to help restore the identity and sense of belonging for the affected families, providing meaningful purpose and support during the recovery process will assist in the recovery of their identity of the affected families.

The multidisciplinary and dedicated team of heritage professionals and volunteers who are working across six labs in different locations, safeguarding the treasured memories of nearly 1,000 families.

Photograph conservator Rosina Herrera Garrido writes:

“Right now, our priority is stabilizing the collections by drying or freezing them to prevent mold and further deterioration. Soon, we will begin the process of washing, drying, and treating the most delicate objects. To move forward, we urgently need materials for this next phase, as well as support to compensate the volunteers and experts who have been tirelessly working since November.

This project is entirely free of charge for those affected, but it relies on outside donations to continue. Your support will ensure that we can keep preserving these invaluable family treasures and help restore a sense of identity and hope to those who have lost so much.

Debbie Hess Norris, chair of the Department of Art Conservation at the University of Delaware and Director of the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation is raising funds to support our work in recovering photographs and memories of families affected by the #dana in Valencia. Please give now. All gifts at any level are welcome.”

How to help: https://gofund.me/8793f0f1

More information about the project at: https://museuhortasud.com/en/save-the-photos/

Instagram: @rosina.herrera.garrido / @museucomarcalhortasud

Athens (Greece), 9 April 2025

EUreka3D-XR’s specialists to be presenting at TMM-CH 2025 Conference

EUreka3D-XR project will be presented in a Special Panel during the 4th International Conference TMM-CH Transdisciplinary Multispectral Modelling and Cooperation for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage.

The panel is set on 9 April h. 14.30, with specialists in the domain Ioannides Marinos (UNESCO Chair and EUreka3D-XR / HERITALISE projects), Fresa Antonella (EU EUreka3D-XR Project and Photoconsortium’s vice-president), Borras Mikel (EU HERITALISE Project), Anderson Janet (EU eArchiving Project), Cassar Anthony (Heritage Malta), Haynes Ronald (IIIF 3D Standardization) Roumeliotis Stergios (Research Associate, National Technical University of Athens, School of Chemical Engineering) and Doulamis Nikos (Professor, National Technical University of Athens, School of Rural, Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering) who will present the new concept “From #DigitalTwin to #MemoryTwin: A New Horizon for Cultural Heritage”.

Panel “From Digital Twin to Memory Twin: A New Horizon for Cultural Heritage”, on 9th April 2025

The session is organised by the UNESCO Chair on DCH under the leadership of the EU Digital-Europe EUreka3D-XR project, and is in cooperation with the EU-HE HERITALISE project, Heritage-Malta, the EU eArchiving Initiative and the IIIF-Committee on 3D Standardization.

The Conference will take place on 7-9th of April in Athens, Greece.

DOWNLOAD Antonella Fresa presentation here<<<<

Programme and information at this link.

Conference website: https://www.tmm-ch.com/

EUreka3D-XR project is co-financed by the Digital Europe Programme of the European Union.

The SECreTour team met with local communities on 21-22 March 2025

The SECreTour pilot about cultural tourism at the Roma community of Tomor (Hungary)

On 21st and 22nd March representatives of partners of the SECreTour project met in Tomor, at the premises of ROMAMA, the social cooperative that participates in the SECreTour pilot about Roma minority heritage.

Tomor is located in the North-East part of Hungary, hosting a large Roma population. Despite its valuable natural and cultural evidence, the area is suffering of its remote position in the country and a high uneployment rate.

The social activity experimented in the SECreTour pilot represents a very valuable opportunity of development for the local citizens, who are engaged in participatory and co-creation activities within the collaboration with ELTE University that is the pilot leader in the SECreTour project.

The team of Promoter srl and ELTE University met with a nice representation of youngsters from Tomor and the surrounding villages. It was a pleasant time, where each participant had the oppotunity to tell about him/her interests and expectations for the future. After having lunch together, a small and informal concert was also the occasion to enjoy Roma music played by local young artists.

Here below we provide a selection of the pictures taken during the enconters.

Social activity at ROMAMA, in Tomor

Playing Roma music at Romama, in Tomor

Follow SECreTour online also on the SECreTour project’s website.

Collaboration agreement has started between the SECreTour project and the Europeana Foundation, in March 2025

New collaborations of SECreTour with Europeana

The SECreTour Network is growing!

Europeana empowers the cultural heritage sector in its digital transformation. It develops expertise, tools and policies to embrace digital change and encourage partnerships that foster innovation. It makes it easier for people to use cultural heritage for education, research, creation and recreation. Its work contributes to an open, knowledgeable and creative society.

Europeana is steward of the Data space for cultural heritage. Together with other data spaces Europeana strives to provide free access to open cultural heritage data for anyone who would like to access or use it. There are many opportunities connection to this data space provides.

Europeana focuses on the tourism audience as an important connection to provide opportunities to battle overtourism, create innovative new tourism experiences, highlight underrepresented destinations, etc.

Furthermore, Europeana is partner in the Deploytour project, which is setting up the Data Space for Tourism, ensuring that there is a robust connection between the Data Space for Cultural Heritage and the Data space for tourism.

You can find out more about Europeana on: https://www.europeana.eu

Follow SECreTour online also on the SECreTour project’s website.

The SECreTour team met with local communities on 10-11 March 2025

Monte San Giorgio – a magic place on the border between Switzerland and Italy

From right to left: Prof. Lorenzo Cantoni, Antonio Lenzo from the team at Università della Svizzera Italiana, Antonella Fresa Networking Manager of SECreTour, Adine Gavazzi leader of Monte San Giorgio pilot

On 10th and 11th March representatives of partners of the SECreTour project met in Lugano to visit the places of the pilot about Monte San Giorgio.

This is a very special place, full of cultural heritage, environamental and historic excellence, positioned on the border betwenn Cantone Ticino in Swizeland and Regione Lombardia in Italy.

The SECreTour pilot is connecting with local communities that are working on valuting the extremely valuable place and to transfor tourists into real travellers, eager to discover the wonders of the territory.

The team of Promoter srl and of Univerità della Svizzera Italiana were able to experience the mountain track that brings to the Hermitage of Beato Manfredo, to enjoy the ancient Babtistere of Riva San Vitale, to meet with Jurg Schewwerzmann, Cultural Councillor at the Municipality of the precious village of Morcote, and to discuss and plan the next workshop on cross-border and multiregional strategies to be held in fall 2025 in Lugano.

The meetings were very interesting and profitable.

Here below we provide a selection of the pictures taken during the enconters.

In front of the Cathedral of Morcote

Along the track to the Hermitage of Beato Manfredo

In the Baptistere of Riva San Vitale

Follow SECreTour online also on the SECreTour project’s website.

Grand Hotel Minerva, Florence (Italy), 26 May 2025

EVA Florence 2025

EVA FLORENCE, the annual event in Florence of the EVA series.
Electronic Imaging and the Visual Arts Conference, Training and Workshops.
Only in-presence, Grand Hotel Minerva, Florence (Italy)

Main topics:

Artificial Intelligence for Cultural Heritage, Creative Enterprises, SME and Industries, Society, Public Administration
Artificial Intelligence Perspectives and Evolution
European Commission Projects and Plans regarding Innovation Technologies,
Artificial Intelligence and Cultural Heritage
Management of Cultural Institutions and Museum
Digital Art, Music, Theatre
Copyright Protection and Cybersecurity
Climate Change, Environmental Protection
Human-Computer Interaction
Cultural Tourism and Travel Applications

Who should attend:

The Cultural Sector
The Government Sector
Media & Related Sectors
The ICT Industry, especially multimedia SME’s
Tourism & Travel Sector
Technology & Visual Arts Research Organisations
Trade Culture Activities

Offers of Papers are to be sent (2 pages Summary) to the Organizer Vito Cappellini (vito.cappellini@unifi.it) by 25 March 2025, acceptance of the Papers will be sent by 10 April to prepare the final Paper by 25 April.

Download the Announcement here<<<<

The event could be followed both online and in Pisa

EUreka3D-XR first public workshop successfully took place in Museo della Grafica

EUreka3D-XR – European Union’s REKonstructed content in 3D to produce XR experiences is the continuation project of EUreka3D, funded by the Digital Europe Programme of the European Union, to develop innovative re-use scenarios and tools that enable the creation of extended reality (XR) applications, through expanding the features and services already developed and tested in the EUreka3D project.

The event counted more than 60 participants, both online and on site, who had the chance to get to know the three use cases of the project after a welcome message by Alessandro Tosi, Director of Museo della Grafica and a presentation of the scope of Project coordinator Antonella Fresa.

The main research area of the new action in EUreka3D-XR is focused on transforming cultural contents such 2D, 3D, video, texts, maps, stories into compelling narratives and extended reality scenarios, and to deliver said scenarios to the common European data space for cultural heritage, to enrich the corpus of open access digital cultural contents online and to inspire others in experimenting new technologies.

Find the presentations here<<<<.