Newsletter October 2023

VI-TRAIN-Crafts - Final Spurt

This Erasmus+ project deals with digitalisation in Cultural Heritage - not with movable cultural assets, however, but with built Cultural Heritage. VI-TRAIN-Crafts is different: it develops innovative training programmes for traditional/endangered crafts and is dealing with structural damage. Something that is creative and innovative in itself, as no such projects have existed before. And now this unique project is coming to an end. In order to deliver meaningful results, VI-TRAIN-Crafts organised a learner event in July entitled "Virtual Crafts Training". In this event, defined scenarios were tested to work with virtual tools suitable for the purpose of VI-TRAIN-Crafts. The specifics of practical training for traditional/threatened crafts were considered. In particular, the use of cameras was tested in practice and evaluated in accordance with the training context. In particular, the effort required for preparation and follow-up, the lighting, the perspective and possible restrictions, such as posture and movement of the hands as well as possible shadows, must be taken into account in order to obtain an effective training video. A key finding from this learner event is that the course of the training and the availability of relevant infrastructure must be carefully planned and coordinated for each learner. Furthermore, switching from one learner to another is time-consuming.

The use of VR & AR is still limited at the moment, as training requires a high resolution (VR) and standardised structures in the historic building (AR). Both are possible in principle, but involve high costs. In contrast to medicine, cultural heritage often lacks the financial resources for this. Support from the EU Commission and the member states is urgently needed here.

The main learning effect from the Learner Event is therefore:

* Each application must be tailored to training purpose, financial and technological situation of the learner

* Feedback works better with a time delay, i.e. more in the sense of Coaching

* Virtual training is rather seen as a supplement in the medium term, not a replacement for f2f

The same applies to the Virtual Building Inspector: it is a supplement and a saving, not a complete replacement. Some steps of the inspection simply cannot be reproduced virtually - e.g. the haptic inspection by tapping or "spitting on it". However, the virtual scanning and creation of a model from the images shall reduce the use of scaffolding, lifting platforms, lifts and the physical presence of a specialist. Therefore: mission accomplished!

A valuable side effect is the possibility of documenting traditional/endangered crafts and thus preserving them for future generations. Based on this insight, organisations such as BHÖ (AT) and SGPR (PT) intend to record craft activities on their buildings on video in the future. This will create a huge video library which will form the basis for comprehensive, customised Online Training.

Two multiplier events were organised in the last few months: in Bilbao and Vienna. And of course, a total of 16 trainers were certified in the Train-the-Trainer course - 5 of them are new.

The final meeting will take place from 08-09 November 2023 in Cascais, PT, and the exciting VI-TRAIN-Crafts project will end on 14 November.

You can find more about VI-TRAIN-Crafts here.

CliP-ComE - Starting Signal

The HEU project CliP-ComE was approved in summer and will start on 01 December 2023! CliP-ComE is a follow-up project to PRO-Heritage and primarily aims to provide further training for members of the European Historic Houses Association. They will all become "Energy Experts/Managers" in order to successfully apply and utilise their knowledge and newly acquired skills in their historic buildings. For example, the participants should learn to recognise that the preservation of historic box-type windows is both ecologically sensible and cost-saving. Properly preserved, these windows protect the environment, as they do not have to be disposed of and their constant maintenance can also create jobs - and still cost less!

This and other important elements of energy efficiency are taught in CliP-ComE and will strengthen the EU's Green Deal, Fit for 55, New European Bauhaus, Renovation Wave and the new ESG (Environment-Society-Governance) rules in the future.

Three training courses are planned over the next two years, each with 10-15 participants, so 30-45 energy experts will be trained and expertise in the field of energy efficiency will be significantly increased.

The HEU project PRO-Heritage continues to have a strong impact on representatives of the Cultural Heritage sector even after the project has ended. The project manager is repeatedly invited to seminars and conferences to report on the significant findings and results of PRO-Heritage. As a purely practical project, PRO-Heritage delivers immediately applicable recommendations and implementation options. Rarely has an EU project been so sought after and generated so much interest!

It is clear that the sector has both a need and an interest in such projects - a call to the relevant EU bodies to authorise more practice-oriented projects!

More information on CliP-ComE can be found soon here.

The European Heritage Academy - Continued

Over the past 5 years, EHA has been running MODI-FY modules for "Maintenance Managers" and training employees of Cultural Heritage institutions with great vigour. The PRO-Heritage "Energy Expert/Manager for Cultural Heritage" training programme is now added, being offered on an ongoing basis from 2024, while it also is the core of the new CliP-ComE project.

Due to new findings from the latest EU projects, the MODI-FY course programme is currently being revised and adapted. This is primarily due to the increasing requirements in terms of Climate and Environmental Protection. The adaptation is ongoing and is initiated and supported by the existing Job-role Committee.

The results of the project INCREAS will also become part of the EHA's offering: the practical implementation of the course modules will take place in the newly created EU Competence Centre Mauerbach/EUCompCentre, the prototype that will serve as a model for other centres in other EU countries. The pool of experts is being rapidly expanded and supplemented with personal profiles. Information on this can be found on the EHA website.

The European Heritage Academy offers further education in the field of historic buildings - for all interested parties/specialists from all over Europe. Current Exam dates can be found here (only in German).

EHA, as the Academy is called for short, is a cooperation of Burghauptmannschaft Oesterreich (BHOe) and Bundesdenkmalamt Oesterreich (BDA).

UBW Unternehmensberatung Wagenhofer GmbH provides qualified trainers.

EHA courses, together with e-learning, form the basis for certification by ECQA - European Certification and Qualification Association (https://jobcertification.eu/), an international association based in Austria.

You can find more about The European Heritage Academy here.