#Heritage_digitised
How can cultural heritage be preserved in the digital age, and what new narratives emerge when art and archives move online? The Goethe-Institut’s project #Heritage_digitised explored the implications of digitisation for questions of postcolonialism, sustainability, representation, and diversity. Led by the Goethe-Institut London, in collaboration with the Goethe-Instituts in Glasgow, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and the Netherlands, the programme combined expert discussions, the interactive competition GIF IT UP, and a multi-channel Instagram campaign to invite artists, scholars, activists, and audiences to reflect on and reimagine digital preservation.
Live conversations and social media activations encouraged public engagement with urgent questions such as: What is the carbon footprint of digital art collections? What does digital restitution look like? Whose artworks are preserved, and whose are left out? By bridging public participation with critical reflection, #Heritage_digitised highlighted both the possibilities and the challenges of safeguarding cultural heritage in a more inclusive, conscious, and sustainable digital landscape.
About the project
As one of four members of the Goethe-Institut’s DigiLab team, which was responsible for producing and delivering the international digital project Heritage_digitised, I contributed my editorial and digital expertise to shape content, strategy, and production. This included consulting on interview frameworks and guest selection, tailoring questions for Instagram livestream conversations, and shaping the editorial approach for written expert contributions.
As editorial lead, I was responsible for preparing, editing, and publishing landing page copy, media packs, social media posts, and expert interviews. I then distributed these across our internal email newsletters and in digital chatrooms, for other Goethe-Instituts to publish. I also oversaw contracts for commissioned editorial work and managed administrative tasks, such as processing invoices and payments, ensuring the smooth delivery of all digital outputs.
Regarding strategy, in addition to creating the UK’s social media campaigns, I regularly utilised analytical tools, such as Webtrekk and Meta Business Suite, to report on digital engagement for the UK’s social media channels and website. These insights were used to evaluate our approach, tailor methods, and boost posts when sign-ups or digital engagement were below our target figures.
Responsibilities: Editorial lead, budget management, strategy, and digital content production
Production Portfolio
Web content
Written content
Interview with Ruth Catlow, principal investigator of Serpentine's Blockchain Lab: "The sustainability of digitising artwork requires a holistic approach"
Interview with María Paula Fernández, co-founder of jpg.space: "Digitisation is a vital step to safeguard cultural heritage"
Interview with Adriana Muñoz, curator for the Americas at Sweden's National Museum of World Culture: Opening the archives to other voices
Interview with Kerstin Herlt, EU project coordinator at DFF, and Marta Franceschini, head of communications and editorial at EFHA: Nothing about us without us
Commissioned digital content
German Museums Go Virtual - Written by Petra Schönhöfer
Instagram live conversation with Dr Anne Luther and Medhavi Gandhi: What does effective Digital Restitution mean?
Instagram live conversation with Adriana Muñoz and Medhavi Gandhi: How can digital technology shape an inclusive narrative?
Instagram live conversation with Barbara Fischer and Medhavi Gandhi: How can museums & libraries use digital technology to pave the way for a greener future?