On 2-3 December 2021, a fascinating and diverse group of speakers will explore current trends in digital participation and discuss the opportunities and challenges in this space, through presentations and interactive Q&A sessions. Conference attendees will hear fresh perspectives on public participation in collecting and contextualising digital cultural heritage, and on crowdsourcing and gamifying data quality improvements.
As background for participation, we know that younger generations in general are more likely to seek and share digital experiences that are participatory and community-oriented. Successful organisations in the 21st century are increasingly participatory, embracing open, collaborative, ‘read-write’ methods to accomplish their goals, in partnership with their community.
We will explore how this applies to cultural institutions and see how they are engaging communities with cultural heritage, crowdsourcing, citizen science, enrichment and digital storytelling, and what they recommend in terms of audience participation and public engagement.
Creating and caring for participatory communities requires care, time and commitment, and can be labour and resource-intensive. These factors can have a profound effect on the way cultural institutions approach digital transformation and participation. And so the conference will also explore how cultural institutions are addressing the sustainability of digital participation.
Guests on the first day – which is open to all – can expect a warm welcome from the Europeana Foundation, the Slovenian Ministry of Culture and the European Commission and then be inspired by guest speakers including George Oates (Flickr Commons), Susanna Anas (Open Knowledge Finland), Giovanna Fontenelle (Wikimedia Foundation), Virginia Poundstone (Mhz Curationist) and Medhavi Gandhi (The Heritage Lab). Experts on engagement and participation from the Europeana Foundation will also be on hand. Explore the programme.
Conference attendees will take away actionable insights and inspiration for driving effective participation with digital cultural heritage. So, if you’re interested in participatory approaches to culture and public engagement, register now to join us!