Virtual Community Heritage – An Immersive Approach to Community Heritage

Our relationship with cultural heritage has been transformed by digital technologies. Opportunities have emerged to preserve and access cultural heritage material while engaging an audience at both regional and global level. Accessibility of technology has enabled audiences to participate in digital heritage curation process. Participatory practices and co-production methodologies have created new relationships between museums and communities, as they are engaged to become active participants in the co-design and co-creation of heritage material. Audiences are more interested in experiences vs services nowadays and museums and heritage organisations have potential to entertain while providing engaging experiences beyond their physical walls. Mixed reality is an emerging method of engagement that has allowed enhanced interaction beyond traditional 3D visualisation models into fully immersive worlds. There is potential to transport audiences to past worlds that enhance their experience and understanding of cultural heritage.

THE PHENOMENON OF HISTORICAL REENACTMENT IN THE XX–XXI CENTURIES CULTURE

The article deals with the phenomenon of historical reenactment. It is noted that its actualization in the context of the culture of the XX–XXI centuries is due to a change in trends in the development of society. The formation of a visual turn contributes to the emphasis on forms of perception that are focused on interactivity. The "dry" story of past events is extremely difficult to perceive in the context of the spread of digital culture. Mankind is accustomed to the appearance of events that shock, impress, inspire and most of the impact is due to visual stimuli. There are several types of historical reconstruction – "living history" and tournaments. The movement of historical reconstruction in Europe can be divided into historical reenactment, which is divided into "living history" and combat reenactment, as well as creative reconstruction. Instead, in the Ukrainian space more attention is paid to the development of historical reconstruction in the dimension of sports competitions – ISB (historical medieval battles). Reproduction of elements of everyday life can act as a valuable source of information about culture. The spread of the phenomenon of historical reconstruction had an extremely great potential for the socio-cultural sphere. Historical reconstruction can serve as a tool for modifying museum practices. In recent years, there has been a steady trend towards the appearance of theatrical performances that revitalize the work of museum institutions. The actualization of historical reconstruction leads to the formation of festivals associated with historical battles. Often the festival of historical reconstruction includes various competitions and contests – fencing, archery or crossbow shooting, mass battles, a competition for the most authentic uniform. They draw attention to military affairs and history, combining integrative, cognitive functions, as well as being a part of leisure. The results of the study can be practically applied in the field of cultural management, project activities and in the work with the preservation of cultural heritage – material and spiritual.

A Digital Platform to (Re)Link Heritage of Malaysia: Co-Producing Information Concerning ICH.

Since its implementation, the UNESCO’s Convention for the Protection and safeguarding of Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003) remains a field of co-operation in what concerns its application in community and nation-wide strategies for the countries that approved the document. One of its the tangible influences has been the consciousness that new creativities must take place to recognise and document the living tradition of each region. Consequently, identifying Intangible Cultural Heritage is a keyword for the expansion of safeguarding and protection strategies, as it remains a dominant issue when it comes to pleasing to action any plan in this arena. The “Repository of Penang Cultural Diversity” is a working process project designed as a digital platform to enhance the broadcasting of knowledge and information about ICH in the Penang region (West Malaysia). It imagines a comprehensive approach to cultural heritage: material (buildings, objects, museum collections), intangible (know-how, cultural practices) and natural (cultural landscapes). Also, highlights a historical perception as well a modern view of how folk practices are taking place these days and highlights the active and developing nature of ICH. This short paper deliberates the concepts that guide the project, objectives and methodologies.

The cultural legacy of the frontier lands of Vinalopó (Alicante, Spain) and their tourist use – impossible mission?

“Frontier tourism” or tourisme de partage is a genuine typology of tourism which has these four features: space (geographic), time (historic), experience (motivations and behaviours) and sharing cultural heritage (material or immaterial). The border lands of Alto Vinalopó (Alicante-Spain) have a paradoxical and dual element in the sense that they operate as a territory with common customs and traditions which share many similarities with other territories, but at the same time they show a number of contrasts and peculiarities. Reorganized now as potential tourist attractions, these deep-rooted ethnographic displays are becoming consumable products, which are struggling to find a differential position in the leisure business. This article is aimed at illustrating this process, analysing its sociocultural, economic and promotional variables by considering a particular event: the Moors and Christians festival in Villena. These ancient celebrations convey their own values and signs of identity which have also served to stimulate and diversify the local economy. Besides, after being officially declared in 2015 a national tourist attraction, with the “4th September, All Mad” campaign, this festival has generated challenges, uncertainties and opportunities for tourist development which will demand the right creative strategies and economic management to succeed.