Youth Drama, Media & Storytelling for Developing Cultural Heritage and Tourism (YDMS) – KA205+2018+005
The objective of this 28 month, Erasmus+ project, is to use narrative methodologies and digital design tools to tell stories about European cultural heritage and to contribute to making this history more well-known. Cultural tourism accounts for 40% of European tourism and can provide an opportunity for greater development of European regions and reduce many negative effects of financial crises. Generating jobs in the cultural tourism sector can counteract job loss in industrial sectors and also stimulate the preservation of cultural heritage and biodiversity. This is especially relevant in 2018, the “Year of European Cultural Heritage” with the theme “Our Heritage: where the past meets the future.”
YDMS will therefore offer youth workers and NEETs (people “Not (engaged) in Education, Employment or Trainings”: 13% of the population EU countries), new knowledge and skills about cultural mediation and theatrical and digital storytelling to co-create new products of cultural tourism relevant to the market, and applied to the cultural heritage of participating countries: Denmark, Italy, Germany and Spain. Using “live interpretations,” a program of theatrical tours will be created with “young actors” whom, in historical dress, will perform in a didactical play as historical or mythical characters, and guide citizens and tourists through the discovery of details, histories and places belonging to the cultural heritage of the European cities involved. The live interpretations will be enacted at points of interest on an itinerary that is connected to a webplatform and app that uses a combination of augmented reality, interactive games, and further info available to help make the itineraries a memorable and unique experience where cultural heritage will “come to life.”
The start date of the project is the first of September, 2018 and it will run until 31 December, 2020. Project partners include NGOs from across Europe. All project partners are also knowledgeable and very experienced within this focus area. Along with Crossing Borders in Denmark, there are 3 other partner organizations: Youth Europe Service in Italy; Ost-Passage Theater e.V. in Germany; and the Asociacion de Invesigacion de la Industria del Juguete, Conexas y Afines (AIJU), in Spain.
