Digitisation, Accessibility, Security and Promotion of the Museums int the Marche Region

10 partners, 40 speakers, 20 projects presented, 50 museum professionals, 8 events

Within the framework of the Erasmus+ project “NEXT-MUSEUM: Fostering digitisation in small and medium-sized museums through the figure of the Digital Curator“, on the occasion of the Erasmus Days, an event dedicated to the topics of digitisation, accessibility, security and promotion of the museums of the Marche Region it was held on Monday 9 October 2023, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Palazzo Li Madou in Ancona.

The initiative is organised by Fondazione Marche Cultura – Settore Musei e Luoghi della Cultura, Università Politecnica delle Marche and ICOM Italia, with the participation of the Municipality of Cagli and Museo Archeologico e della Via Flaminia di Cagli, Museo Archeologico Nazionale delle Marche and Museo Tattile Statale Omero (Direzione Regionale Musei Marche), Municipality of Fano.

The European Next-Museum project, of which Fondazione Marche Cultura is the leader, intends to encourage the use of digital tools in various areas of the sector in small and medium-sized museums, from management to cultural promotion up to museum experiences. Various initiatives included in this framework have already been implemented in the area, such as the training for digital curators held in Ancona in March 2023.

The final output of the Next-Museum project involves the creation of a digital experience within the museums selected in the various participating countries, thus testing the application of skills and the involvement of the public in the digital initiatives undertaken. On 9 October, the pilot project carried out by the Marche working group was presented during a round table which will address the topic of the digitisation of cultural heritage, also in relation to other important related topics, such as the accessibility and safety of museums . In the final part of the event, coordinated by ICOM Italia, the Museum Safety and Emergency Plan and the accessibility app were discussed, also presenting case studies from the Marche Region together with representatives of the institutes involved.

“Usability, care for information, and the adoption of innovative tools are increasingly decisive elements,” says the president of the Fondazione Marche Cultura, Avv.Andrea Agostini, “elements that can make the difference, first to attract visitors, then to capture their attention. This is because in a museum you don’t just go to admire something, you participate in an emotion. Favoring digitisation, therefore, especially in small and medium-sized museums, becomes strategic and Fondazione Marche Cultura is pursuing this path, in the conviction that intelligent projects and innovative digital curators can really characterize our structures and make them more attractive.”

Institutional greetings were given by Chiara Biondi, Marche Region Councillor for Culture; Daniela Tisi, Marche Region Director of Cultural Heritage and Activities; Francesco Gesualdi, Director of the Marche Culture Foundation; Paolo Clini, Rector’s Delegate for Cultural Heritage at the Marche Polytechnic University; Michele Lanzinger, President of ICOM Italy; Luigi Gallo, Director of the Marche National Gallery and Marche Regional Museums Directorate; Benilde Marini, Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Cagli.

To participate, it was necessary ti fill out in the form at this link.

Part of the day was recorded and published on the YouTube channel of the Fondazione Marche Cultura.

During the event on 9 October, the digital work that will come to life in the Archaeological and Via Flaminia Museum of Cagli, selected as the recipient museum of the project, was presented.

The digital experience on which the partners have been working and which is currently being finalized is linked to the history of the Cagli area as an important point on the Via Flaminia and as the site of a valuable archaeological find, that of the Stipe di Coltone. A virtual tour will make it possible to explore the area of the ancient Roman consular road and to visit little-known or hard-to-reach Roman archaeological sites, while an interactive installation will take the public on a fascinating journey on the traces of the warriors in the votive deposit of Cagli.

As part of the multiplication of events of the NEXT-MUSEUM Project, a very special initiative was also presented on 9 October, which will allow museum professionals and all interested parties to discover and learn more about the experiences already carried out in the Marche region, which represent virtuous examples of the application of digital technology to museums: the DigitalEducationOnTour. From 16 October to 25 November 2023, a rich calendar of weekly visits, divided into 7 stages that will touch all the provinces of the Marche region, will thus make it possible to get to know the projects in place and how digital is being used in the sphere of cultural heritage, experiencing first-hand innovative and engaging digital experiences within the selected museums.

The planned stages are:

For information:
musei@fondazionemarchecultura.it
Tel. 071.9951621 – 631