What If Digital Technology Could Open Up Our Heritage?

Museums, historic sites and cultural institutions hold extraordinary collections, knowledge and stories. But how can digital technology help bring those assets to life for wider audiences? From digitisation and immersive media to interactive experiences and AI, heritage organisations are increasingly experimenting with new ways to extend access to their spaces, collections and research. The opportunity is exciting, but it also raises practical questions around resources, skills, sustainability and ethics.

This panel, coordinated by Ian Gadd of Bath Spa University and the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution (BRLSI), brings together voices from across the heritage and technology sectors to explore how digital innovation is being applied in practice.

Speakers include:

• Alice Graham, Experience Developer at the National Trust
• Richard Blows, Founder and Creative Director of Time Machine Designs
• Coral Manton, Creative Technologist, Senior Lecturer in Creative Computing, and Director of the Centre for Creative Technology at Bath Spa University

Together they will share real examples of how heritage organisations are using technology to engage audiences in new ways, and what others can learn from their experience.

For Bath Digital Festival’s “What If?” theme, the conversation asks:

What if digital innovation could help heritage organisations reach new audiences while protecting what matters most?

Expect practical insights, honest reflections on the challenges involved, and ideas for organisations keen to explore the possibilities of digital technology in the heritage sector.

• Heritage and cultural sector professionals exploring digital innovation
• Creative technologists working with museums, archives and cultural organisations
• Researchers and students interested in digital heritage and storytelling
• Anyone curious about how technology can help make culture and history more accessible

If you are interested in how technology can support culture, storytelling and public engagement, this session offers a fascinating look at where heritage and digital innovation meet.

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Host or Publisher TechSPARK