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VILNIUS TECH scientists participation in HORIZON "META-MUSEUM" project

January 14, 2025
This is a large multi-stakeholder project funded by Horizon Europe. It will run 2024-2027.

META-MUSEUM – Moving Emotions towards confidence in the Transformative Appropriation for a Meaningful Understanding of cultural heritage: a neuroScientific approach to EUropean Museums.

Call: [HORIZON-CL2-2023-HERITAGE-01] — [Research and innovation on cultural heritage and CCIs-2023].

META-MUSEUM proposal is based on the role that empathy can play in understanding the constantly changing nature of CH, and on the role that empathic emotions, co-creation and individual interpretation play in sharing this understanding, and in helping citizens to face current and future societal transformations, with greater confidence.

META-MUSEUM redefines how people experience cultural heritage (CH) by fostering empathy, co-creation, and inclusion. The project empowers individuals to engage with CH as a dynamic entity while addressing societal challenges. Through innovative methodologies and pilot studies, META-MUSEUM enhances resilience, confidence, and well-being.

Coordinator of the project: Politecnico di Torino (coordinator), Italy

Partners:
Università Sapienza di Roma, Italy
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
Kentro Merimnas Oikogeneias Kai Paidiou, Greece
Friedrich Schiller University-Jena, Germany
National Information Processing Institute, Poland
Nordic Center of Heritage Learning and Creativity (NCK), Sweden
Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Lithuania
European Academy Museum, Netherlands
Beia Consult International, Romania
VILNIUS TECH project leader – Head of the Department of Construction Management and Real Estate prof. habil. dr. Artūras Kaklauskas.

Associated Partners:
Agència catalana del patrimoni cultural – Museu d’Arqueologia de Catalunya, Spain
Cultural Foundation of the National Bank, Greece
Museoparc Alesia, France
Fondazione Museo delle Antichità Egizie di Torino, Italy
In addition, many European archaeological museums have joined the project with a Letter of Interest and willingness to host experiments: Louvre-Lens (France); Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia (Italy); Neues Museum (Germany); Moesgaard Museum (Denmark).
Moreover, also a policy maker (Municipality of Turin, Italy), joined the project with a Letter of  Commitment.

Methodology. The META-MUSEUM project aims to improve understanding of the transformative nature of cultural heritage (CH) and how this understanding can support EU citizens in facing change with confidence. The project recognises that deep understanding, confidence, and resilience are fundamentally emotional responses and states. Building on existing research that highlights the under-researched role of heritage in building social capital, META-MUSEUM’s vision centres on the crucial role emotions play in human experience and the premise that these emotional states and responses can be measured to develop evidence-based principles. The project explores three core concepts: “confidence” a complex construct encompassing positive thinking, a sense of security, mental openness, a sense of control, feelings of well-being, inner peace, active engagement, and social relations; “resilience” defined as the ability to cope with and overcome dramatic changes, accepting crises as opportunities for positive evolution without losing one’s core identity, encompassing positive thinking, an active role, a sense of control and challenge, feeling heard, and strong social ties; and “empathy” the ability to share another’s feelings or experiences, arising from a neurophysiological reaction linked to mirror neurons, generating identification and inner transformation.
The project’s work is structured around theoretical work (WP2-WP4) and experimental work (WP5-WP8), based on a strong interaction between theory and robust experimentation. 

Outcomes. META-MUSEUM’s pathways to impact are structured around a defined timeframe, focusing on delivering tangible results, outcomes, and long-term impacts.

Expected Results (by project end)

These include:

  • experimental data and reports on the emotional understanding of CH’s transformative nature, linked to confidence and resilience;
  • a final version of the TMt;
  • the “attaCHbox” app;
  • a fully qualified M4 system;
  • a replicable format for a travelling “hybrid event”;
  • initial training modules/workshops on TMt skills;
  • the concept for a META-MUSEUM Competence Centre; and
  • several testable prototypes (digital, co-creative, and museographic) made available to the three associated partner museums.
The first meeting was already held by Politecnico di Torino (coordinator), Italy  in 2024 October 14-15.

More information about the project can be found here:

https://meta-museum-project.eu/project/


 

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