Open Museums – European Museums stay open through digital technologies Erasmus Project

Project Title

Open Museums – European Museums stay open through digital technologies

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Partnerships for Creativity

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Creativity and culture; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

During the Covid-19 extensive lock downs in most European countries, project partners observed how the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid dealt with the health and financial strains. The museum swiftly adapted the new exhibition “Rembrandt and Amsterdam portraiture, 1590-1670” to a digital format. A curator led audio guide accompanies the virtual museum visit to create an immersive experience with added value. The museum has noted a 56% increase in online visits, between 13 March -13 April 2020, compared to the same period in 2019 (Network of European Museums Association, June 2020).

However, among the over 20.000 museums in Europe, very few have the necessary digital skills to create a virtual tour or an e-shop that could sustain them in periods of crises, health or otherwise and accelerate their development in times of growth.

The “Open museums” project aims at creating a Competence Guide that will include good practices about the necessary competences in order to be able to create a virtual tour, to maintain the museum’s social media and to create a functional own e-shop that will secure incoming funds, no matter if the museum is open or closed due to unforeseen circumstances. It also aims at creating an open and well disseminated and self-paced e-learning Course that will enable museum staff to learn through practical, all inclusive modules, real life scenarios and exercises how to create a successful virtual tour, how to create an e-shop to secure funds and how to maintain effective social media for their institution.

Incorporated in the methodology and the processes of the project is the transnational European identity and cooperation since intercultural teams will be included in the training programme, the multiplier events and the three-day learning activity. Furthermore, the project is designed to bring together different sectors and transversal work teams since partners are training and consulting organisations, museums and Information Technology companies. The multicultural, interdisciplinary consortium ensures diversity and inclusion in the production of outputs, better understanding of local and national needs, dissemination and potential for the development of future projects.

The primary target group of the project is museums’ staff, a professional category that traditionally has undergone cultural or humanitarian studies and is lacking any formal or non formal training in digital skills. However, in the new cultural reality, the existence of digital skills is imperative for a long and productive career and, in the museum sector, is not offered as on-the-job training or non-formal training. It’s noteworthy that more than 9 million people are employed in the cultural sector in Europe and have been particularly affected by the current health crisis.

The impact of the project will be immense and measurable in the following results:
-Up skilling of museums’ staff in digital skills and competences which is a very important factor since 25% of museum staff is facing the scope of potential unemployment due to the Covid-19 crisis**.
– Development of strategic skills of museum staff in the creation of content, their knowledge developed and enriched in order to provide a better educational and impactful experience to visitors.
-Indirect support of medium and small museums to remain open and to safeguard the local, national and European Cultural Heritage.
-Better accessibility (through virtual means) of visitors in remote areas and visitors facing difficulties to museums and the European Cultural Heritage they represent, the creativity and comfort provided by Art.
– Creation of added value in the experience of museum visitors through the development of additional digital tools that can bring them closer to artists and artifacts.
– Impact on partner organisations through improvement of their knowledge, skills and competences in training and management, in-depth knowledge of the museum sector, better cooperation with partners from diverse sectors, networking for creativity for future projects.

*, **Source: NEMO () survey on the impact of the COVID-19 situation on museums in Europe.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 159865 Eur

Project Coordinator

Fundación Rosalía de Castro & Country: ES

Project Partners

• LAOGRAFIKI ETAIREIA VARNAVA
• AINTEK SYMVOULOI EPICHEIRISEON EFARMOGES YPSILIS TECHNOLOGIAS EKPAIDEFSI ANONYMI ETAIREIA
• eidosd solucions sl
• ATERMON B.V.
• INSIEME PER CAMMINARE