Participatory Workshop: “Soundscapes of Memory” – An Experiential Approach to the Cultural Heritage of Dimitsana

Participation in: “Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage: Best Practices for Contemporary Challenges,” 5th Summer School for Cultural Heritage of the Rural Area, Dimitsana Conference and Cultural Center, July 21-28, 2024

Dimitsana, the historic village of the Peloponnese, becomes the setting for a new mobile app that promises to offer visitors a unique way to explore the area, combining technology with local history and cultural heritage. The application is developed by the Culture and Digital Media Laboratory of the University of Thessaly and Encodica, under the auspices and financial support of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, with the aim of enhancing cultural tourism in Dimitsana. By emphasizing the life stories of the village’s residents and drawing from a rich archive of oral testimonies and photographs provided by the Dimitsana Conference and Cultural Center, the application creates an audio walk that brings history to life, offering a distinctive approach to cultural tourism.

The first pilot presentation of the application took place at the 5th Summer School for Cultural Heritage of the Rural Area, organized by the Directorate of Modern Cultural and Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture in Dimitsana. As part of the Summer School, the creators of the application organized a participatory workshop aimed at training participants in best practices for utilizing intangible cultural heritage, with the goal of strengthening the sustainability of local communities.

 

A Cultural Experience that Brings the Past into the Present

During the workshop, students were introduced to the basic principles of ethnographic research, interviewed residents of Dimitsana, analyzed the interviews, selected excerpts that highlighted specific themes from the village’s social history, and created soundscapes suitable for integration into the app. In the second part of the workshop, all members of the Summer School explored the village while listening to the residents’ stories activated through geolocation technology at various points throughout the area.