SHARITAGE

Digitally enabled community-based European SHAred cultural heRITAGE engagement

Project objectives and priorities
SHARITAGE aims to promote diversity and inclusion in university education in the field of archaeology and cultural heritage. To this end, digital tools are being developed that enable interested parties to engage with their cultural heritage. Based on the ArchaeoTrail system for smartphone tours, accessibility is being improved through technical features, handouts are being created, and teaching materials are being developed to facilitate implementation in curricula across Europe. In this way, SHARITAGE serves the priorities of INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY and DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION of Erasmus+.

Cooperation partners
The project consists of ten partners from six countries, who are distinguished by their professional expertise and geographical diversity. Together, they cover all the skills required for the project, particularly with regard to the communication of cultural heritage and the use of digital tools. In addition, the collaboration is based on long-standing, proven cooperation between several of the participating institutions.

Key innovations
Co-creative communication: SHARITAGE sees cultural heritage communication as a mutual learning process between experts and local communities. All participants have an equal say in the joint development of diverse narratives about archaeological heritage.

Further development of digital tools: The expansion of the ArchaeoTrail system creates new, inclusive opportunities for presentation and interaction with archaeological sites. This also reaches people who previously had little access to cultural heritage.

Strengthening local communities: The project embeds a community-oriented approach in the training of cultural heritage professionals, promotes diversity and places greater focus on rural cultural heritage sites as important places of identity.

Target groups
SHARITAGE is aimed at students and teachers of subjects related to cultural heritage, such as archaeology, as well as rural communities, particularly in Czechia, Serbia and Spain.

Results and products
Raising awareness of cultural diversity and strengthening rural communities
Teaching materials for universities to promote diversity in the communication of cultural heritage
Technical development of the ArchaeoTrail system
Local communities as designers of cultural heritage tours in various European countries
Enabling diverse perspectives for smartphone tours of cultural heritage
Guidelines for the independent development of cultural heritage tours by local communities

Dissemination of results and implementation
SHARITAGE’s teaching materials, tours and handouts are communicated to specific target groups. Local communities are actively involved in the ceremonial launch of the developed tours, while the media, government representatives and dignitaries increase the reach. Information boards with QR codes at the starting points of the tours make the offerings visible to everyone. The participating institutions disseminate the materials and activities created in the project via social media channels. To promote integration into curricula, the content is also presented at partner events and conferences. An intensive study programme for international students also reaches new target groups and turns participants into multipliers.

Free availability of results
All SHARITAGE results are made available via open access: the ArchaeoTrail app and web portal can be used free of charge, and smartphone tours can be downloaded via the app. Teaching materials, guides and video tutorials are available long-term on the project website, in the Zenodo repository and on the Erasmus Project Results platform.