Civita report on new models and digital developments of museums

A real ‘decalogue’ with ten concrete proposals to transform our museums also from the point of view of remote use: this is the one developed by the Civita Report, ‘Next generation culture: digital technologies and immersive languages ​​for new cultural audiences ‘published by Marsilio, promoted by the cultural association in collaboration with Icom-Italia and illustrated in the presence of the Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini and the president of the Civita association Gianni Letta, in the Spadolini room of the Mic and online on the AdnKronos homepage. A handbook which is accompanied by proposals, ideas, solicitations to introduce new organizational models, new opportunities for digital interaction, new business offers. The ten ‘key rules’ for the communication of museums concern as many needs referred to in the Civita Report: to be digitally present; privilege communication through images; think about schedules and innovative productions; adapt the display to mobile formats; always interact and respond to the public; making the museum a place of discovery and imagination; be clear in objectives and dynamic in strategies; strengthen the playful dimension of the museum; develop new narrative and storytelling approaches; guarantee a constant listening to one’s audience. More generally, some priority ‘policies’ are indicated, starting with identifying what “the real needs of the cultural sector are, relating them to existing resources and technological solutions. To ensure sustainability of processes – it is emphasized – it is necessary to see new business models in technological innovation and not simply an accompaniment or replacement of existing models “. In addition, the Civita Report suggests” adopting a long-term vision anchored to the ability to network between operators, businesses and cultural institutions, exploiting technology as an enabling factor; guarantee, by public administrations, an investment in ‘digital skills’ within cultural institutions, for example by building a shared platform useful above all for operators of small size and reduced budget; design ‘data driven’ models of performance measurement, which would guarantee higher standards of effectiveness and efficiency to the innovative solutions adopted “. And again:” imagine a development of playful-didactic experiences to be lived inside the cultural spaces and to be conveyed outside through solutions and tools digital, creating opportunities for widespread use to intercept the still unexpressed demand of the youngest; and implement a collective effort of ‘community building’, to strengthen the sense of belonging of civil society to the historical-artistic heritage of the territories, considering the community as the protagonist of the concept of open cultural heritage, made up not only of assets to be protected but of experiences to live “. In fact, explain the authors of the Civita Report, the experience lived due to the pandemic for Covid has given several lessons: first of all,” it is necessary to rethink the organizational models and enhance the cultural heritage in an innovative way, favoring through the accessibility much broader and more inclusive than in the past “. Then,” digital offers must allow for experience, personalization and the possibility of exchanging information: it is essential that a ‘web strategy’ be developed by the cultural institution to in order to define digital choices, targets, languages, policies, methods and monitoring tools ” It is by chance, underlined in the introduction to the Civita Report, “during the global pandemic, digital media experienced a golden age, providing a bridge to stay connected through an exciting range of experiences and fostering penetration into the cultural sector of immersive languages, virtual and augmented technologies “. For museums, “national and international surveys have confirmed some structural criticalities in the sector, linked in particular to the fact that digital communication is often not accompanied by the presence of a specific strategy, adequate professional figures and long-medium term investments “. Thus, the Covid emergency has highlighted that” the relationship between museums and digital is complex, varied and not always in step with the times and the ways that liquidity and technological pervasiveness require to arouse the interest in particular of younger generations. It is above all small and medium-sized museums that struggle, often due to a lack of budgets and skills, to keep pace with the evolution of digital. “In particular, in the more than 7,000 responses provided to the survey launched online to the public by Directorate-General Museums of the Ministry of Culture, during the first phase of the lockdown, it appears that 72% visited Internet sites or social profiles of museums, it alians or foreigners: the museum’s website, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram were the platforms and channels chosen, respectively by 74%, 56%, 38% and 36% of the interviewees. The favorite and most appreciated contents were videos (76% ), photos (56%), online conferences and seminars (34%). But, we read in the Civita Report, “communication remains predominantly one-way and with a low degree of interaction”, considering that 73% of those who visited museums’ sites and social profiles abstained from any kind of feedback ‘. However, almost 7 out of 10 believe that a high quality digital proposal could contribute to the revival of face-to-face visits and as many as 6 out of 10 would be willing to pay 3 euros for a guided tour of a museum carried out remotely in the company of the director or an expert. at your complete disposal.On the basis of the individual relationship with the world of culture, five profiles emerged from the sample which correspond to different attitudes with respect to the digital solutions adopted by museums during the closure: enthusiasts (48% of the interviewees); insiders (23%); aficionados (14.8%); the occasional (11.9%); the lukewarm (less than 2% of the sample). In particular, “virtual reality is considered, which aims to create a sensorial experience that often involves the different senses, unlike augmented reality which provides the possibility of inserting additional elements in the physical context in an informative and narrative sense, in a textual key. and visual “. Well, from the analysis of the Civita Report it emerges that” the quantity, if not the quality, of the online experience offered by museums during the last year has not been able to guarantee the construction of a continuous and significant digital relationship with users, probably due to a lack of overall strategic vision, as well as the effectiveness of the specific virtual reality tool “. Looking at the market, among the main areas in expansion,” the intersection between art and video games stands out, with ‘gamification’ which is proposed as a support for involving young audiences in a playful-didactic key; the experimentation of innovative app methods lication of virtual reality at the service of culture and creativity “. In addition,” the creation of platforms that, thanks to computer vision, recognize works of art allowing the user to view extra multimedia content on the device and orient themselves along thematic paths; the application in the tourism sector of immersive technologies capable of conditioning the process of choosing and purchasing destinations or experiences; the creation in urban spaces of digital works in augmented reality, usable through the use of smart devices and special viewers “. (by Enzo Bonaiuto)