DIGITAL PAST 2012New Technologies in heritage, interpretation and outreach

Matt Chilcott & Steve Moss

Matt Chilcott & Steve Moss

MonmouthpediA is the first Wikipedia project to cover a whole town (that is wifi-enabled for the first time).

The project aims to cover notable places, people, artefacts, flora, fauna and other things in Monmouth in as many languages as possible with content co-created with the local community.

The Council for British Archaeology have designated Monmouth as the seventh best town for archaeology in Britain.

Monmouth aims to be the first place in the world to offer its tourist information in over 250 languages.

Matt Chilcott & Steve Moss

MonmouthpediA utilises QRpedia codes, a type of bar code smartphones can read through cameras that takes you to a Wikipedia article in the language of the end user.

Articles have coordinating geotags to allow a virtual tour of the town using using app tools like the Wikipedia layer on Google Street View and in augmented reality software including layar.

1,000 QRpedia codes around Monmouth by mid April ’12 including enhanced interpretation in the Local History Museum and the Shire Hall.

Partnership led by WikiMedia UK & Monmouthshire CC.

Matt Chilcott & Steve Moss

MonmouthpediA & the wifi-town underpin a creative and inclusive digital community (made up of locals, businesses and visitors participating in forming a new sense of place throughout the town and its surrounds).

The project has a significant international profile from which to cascade Monmouth’s culture heritage and identity to a global audience and attract new visitors to the Wales.

Matt Chilcott & Steve Moss

Co-creation of content through ‘themed’ community engagement events: Monmouth Past / Monmouth Arts/ Wild Monmouth / Active Monmouth / Streets of Monmouth / Rolls & Monmouth etc

Archives ‘Quests’ with volunteers enriching articles with findsin the Gwent Archives

Collaboration with schools and major employers

Matt Chilcott & Steve Moss

Research

Steve Moss is investigating the effectiveness of the practices utilised in the MonmouthpediA project within the context of pervasive digital heritage interpretation techniques. In particular he is examining community generated heritage content as a potential new form of digital interpretation practice alongside evaluation of the end user experience.

Matt Chilcott is investigating the project design and public engagement methodologies adopted by the MonmouthpediA initiative in consideration of their potential adoption as additional digital inclusion intervention measures in disadvantaged communities in Wales which experience low online participation rates and lack the benefits of digital identity.

Matt Chilcott & Steve Moss

Things to to think about as at February ’12:

Context of the project – QRpedia and Crowdsourcery

Wifi town - impact on Monmouth as test bed for further studies / digital inclusion / digital tourism experiences

Pervasive museum experiences & new trails – strengthening the links between the museum and the town

New tourism experiences – beyond consume – how best to participate & with which technologies – QRpedia Codes / layar etc.

Cross fertilisation of co-created content with the People’s Collection Wales

DIGITAL PAST 2012New Technologies in heritage, interpretation and outreach

Matt Chilcott & Steve Moss