The project aspired to contribute tangible benefits for both cultural heritage and society at the local, national and international level by creating a new model for open-access participation in the interpretation and management of cultural heritage.
Focusing on the digital app, RESCAPER was developed to cater for the needs of the expert community in culture and cultural heritage, serving as a prompt for the documentation and communication of oral and other ‘soft’ data that are commonly dismissed in the relevant studies but also help build a concise image of the perception of culture and surrounding identities in the local, national and European level.
Even though RESCAPER was designed for recording our perception of cultural heritage/landscape in Greece and the UK, it seems that its intuitive design and straightforward aims (to single-handedly document experience in a specific site and communicate the result) have attracted attention from colleagues in other countries and disciplines. So far, colleagues from Italy, Ireland, France, Cyprus, Greece and Turkey and across various fields (Archaeology, Architecture, Anthropology, Medicine and Construction) have contacted us, asking about the tool and the possibilities of customisation to fit their research questions and dissemination strategies.
RESCAPER’s open source and modular development allows for further customisation to fit any relevant research demands and targeted groups (age, ethnic or other) and contribute in a democratic and open communication of the results. The app also aims to reach the IT literate members of the local communities surrounding heritage resources, focusing on young individuals, who might find intimidating to communicate their views and ideas on a convolute subject as culture and cultural heritage. It will also appeal to the informed tourist that would like to share her views and contribute in the sustainable management of the cultural resources she is visiting, thus opening up the spectrum of targeted communities.
RESCAPER has already attracted media attention in the local press in the areas of our fieldwork and the academic environment, resulting in a series of invited lectures, as described above. Most importantly, as mentioned, it has been shortlisted for a MSCA 2017 Prize in the category ‘Communicating Science’ among all FP7 and Horizon 2020 MSCA Fellows and alumni. It has also been highlighted as a potential Research Excellence Framework 2021 Impact case study by Newcastle University.
Scheduled developments on the app but also our future plans aim to facilitate a truly effective medium of gathering and communicating ground-level views towards a bottom-up understanding of the ideas and practices surrounding culture and cultural heritage in Europe. We believe that the outcomes of the MSCA-IF will contribute to establishing a democratic dialogue and effective decision-making on issues concerning cultural heritage. In the aftermath of economic recession, this will help to promote sustainable development for local communities, whilst contributing to social equality and reasonable use of resources in line with priorities identified in Horizon 2020.
