Virtual Multimodal Museums (ViMM) and DARIAH have recently signed a joint statement confirming the value of working together, in concert with other stakeholders in Cultural Heritage. The aim of this collaboration is to identify and pursue strategies and actions which will maximise the mutual benefits to their communities, at this time of growing opportunity and potential for Cultural Heritage.
Virtual Multimodal Museum (ViMM) is a high-visibility and participative Coordination and Support Action (CSA), funded under the EU Horizon 2020 programme (CULT-COOP-8-2016). ViMM brings together Europe’s and the world’s leading public and private sector organisations working on Virtual Museums and in the wider sector of Digital Cultural Heritage, to support high quality policy development, decision making and the use of technical advances.
One of ViMM deliverables was the publication of a Manifesto, released in September 2018, directed towards strategic decision makers, funding bodies, institutions, practitioners and industries in the Cultural Heritage (CH) sector, who share a common interest in the digital future and who need to act in concert. The Manifesto links together ten key areas in which there is a clear need for further activity to secure the benefits of DCH. These involve: (1) positioning the DCH sector; (2) improving audience participation; (3) harnessing technologies; (4) incentivising funding; (5) opening up; (6) giving the whole picture; (7) powering contextualisation; (8) frameworks and standards; (9) driving organisational change; and (10) developing the human resource.
DARIAH has a strong focus and different skills manifested through Working Groups, members and projects in Cultural Heritage and Digital Humanities. DARIAH’s expertise and strategy aligns with aspects of the ViMM initiative, for example items 6,7 and 10 from the Manifesto, and it will be mutually beneficial to collaborate further in key areas such as policy, research and innovation, education and training, and competence support, as outlined in the ViMM Roadmap and Action Plan.
