Abstract

 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.
Highlights
This work is intended to provide an overview of digital heritage and the potential for small heritage organisations to work with emerging immersive technologies to engage communities and visitors
We will outline current mixed reality paradigms (MR) and how this applies to digital heritage to show the potential for enhancing the experience of cultural heritage (CR) and providing new interpretations and immersive visualisations of the past
The example of ‘St Catherine’s Virtual reality systems (VR)’, developed as part of the CINE project, is used as a case study to demonstrate the design of a community co-produced virtual heritage experience, the use of technology and how it is received within a museum context
Summary
This work is intended to provide an overview of digital heritage and the potential for small heritage organisations to work with emerging immersive technologies to engage communities and visitors. Co-production is regarded as a vital aspect of museum practice due to the principle advantage of creating actively engaged participants by removing the barriers between visitors and facilitators It is from this perspective that we approach the St. Catherine’s site co-production and St. Catherine’s Virtual Reality exhibition. Advancements in computer vision and mixed reality hardware along with enhanced interaction methods has provided accessible pathways for museums and exhibitions of all scales to offer immersive visitor experiences. It’s an exciting future and the UK, with the incredible pedigree of its creative industries and the right policy and practical support, has every opportunity to lead the world in this space.” This trend will likely manifest across nations as digital economies expand and populations trend towards experience and enhanced engagement (Catapult & Uk, 2019). Enclosed is a measure of replacing or augmenting senses and interactions with feedback from
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