The UNESCO Chair on Threats to Cultural Heritage and Cultural Heritage‑related Activities at the Ionian University has officially placed the CULTURIOUS platform under its auspices, marking the launch of a strategic cooperation focused on museum outreach, ethical digital engagement, and sustainable heritage practice.
This partnership advances CULTURIOUS’s core mission of amplifying museums’ role in connecting communities with cultural heritage through innovative, inclusive and environment‑conscious programming and function as a useful tool for the culture curious locals and travellers. With the UNESCO Chair’s guidance, CULTURIOUS will accelerate development of digital storytelling tools, virtual engagement modules, and participatory frameworks tailored for museums, galleries, and heritage institutions.
Strategic Focus: Capacity building, Outreach and Sustainability
- Capacity‑building and co‑creation: The partnership will deliver workshops and toolkits for museum professionals and local practitioners on metadata enrichment, open‑access publishing, and participatory storytelling—strengthening resilience through inclusive, sustainable heritage practices
- Outreach to museums and local communities: CULTURIOUS will expand its multimedia platform to support museums in creating narrative-driven exhibitions, virtual tours, and educational campaigns aimed at diverse audiences — from school groups to underserved communities. This builds on the Chair’s mission to educate and raise awareness about cultural heritage threats at local and regional levels.
- Embedding environmental and digital sustainability: Joint initiatives will feature training for museums on reducing the carbon footprint of digital content, adopting greener hosting solutions, and delivering sustainable programming — aligning with global efforts to make museum operations more environmentally sustainable.
Alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This partnership contributes towards the following SDG(s):
About UNESCO Chair on Threats to Cultural Heritage
The UNESCO Chair at the Ionian University, Corfu, Greece focuses on emerging threats to both tangible and intangible heritage, including environmental hazards, conflict, illicit trafficking, and neglect. It promotes preventive research, policy guidance, and capacity-building interventions at regional and national levels. It builds coalitions, shapes policy, educates communities, and fosters sustainable heritage strategies in line with UNESCO priorities.
About CULTURIOUS
CULTURIOUS is a multimedia digital platform designed to support museums, cultural institutions, and communities in the participatory creation and dissemination of heritage narratives. Its tools facilitate virtual exhibitions, audience outreach, and environmentally responsible digital storytelling.
Contact
Ionian University: UNESCO Chair Secretariat – unesco.chair@ionio.gr
CULTURIOUS Platform: hello@culturious.net
Full-text of the Call for MA Security and Cultural Heritage Studies
