Increasing access to the arts for the widest range of people, making art accessible through digitisation and the use of new technologies; support for projects aimed at gaining new audiences.
Cultural heritage lays an indisputable foundation for national identity, contributing to improving the quality of life and to creating respected values for society. As present, culture is also seen as an important sector of the national and global economy, using existing and new information and communication technologies (hereinafter referred to as ICT). Digitisation and the use of a wider and coordinated approach to culture resources using eCulture principles opens up incredible economic opportunities and creates a prerequisite for further development of the cultural and creative capacities of the Czech Republic and industrial output in this area. This process is also “per se” a new form of high quality, distinctive artistic expression enabling the creation of distinctive cultural goods (virtual cultural objects acquired by digital technology, 2D, 3D (e.g. 3D printing))
Digitising cultural heritage and making its information potential accessible to the public by using technological instruments and innovative ideas through information society tools and public services leads to changes in the perception and use of cultural heritage for the needs of society: the traditional approach to its preservation, protection and presentation has been expanded (or completely replaced) by the growing and versatile ICT approaches.
The digitalisation of cultural goods will help cultural institutions to continue to fulfil their mission of allowing access to and preserving our cultural heritage in a digital/virtual environment. As part of this new approach, cultural resources will become more accessible and new opportunities for their use will become available to society, including their preservation for future generations. At the same time, digital technology and the internet are rapidly changing the way in which we create, promote and distribute digitalised cultural content. The on-line availability of cultural material will enable citizens to have access to the entire world and to use it for entertainment, study or work.
Digitalised, “virtualise” material can also be reused – for commercial and non-commercial purposes – such as developing learning and educational content, documentary films, tourism applications, games, animated films and designer tools, provided this is done while fully respecting copyright and associated rights. This will also make an important contribution to the creative sector, which accounts 3.3% of the EU’s GDP and 3% of its employment.
Based on the holistic approach outlined above, it is therefore appropriate to talk about not only digitisation, but also the eCulture environment with regard to the creation and use of digital forms of cultural heritage.
The term eCulture is defined as the use of digitisation of cultural content and electronic services that are cultural in nature to support the strengthening of the institutional capacity of effective public administration in the area of culture, creativity, innovation and the knowledge economy.
The eCulture concept thus channels digitisation as an important means of ensuring equal access to cultural content and its use for the professional and general public and the application of the principles of effective public administration and economic and social development with further use in education, tourism, the creative sectors, industry, etc.
The implementation of projects related to the digitisation of cultural content – the creation of specialised websites as a means of communication in different areas:
- Stage Dance Golden fund (Zlatý fond scénického tance)
- Web portal concept for choirs
- www.amaterskascena.cz
- www.amaterskedivadlo.cz
- www.umeleckevzdelavani.cz
- www.vytvarneprehlidky.cz
- http://www.mistnikultura.cz/ Internet magazine “Místní kultura” mapping local cultural events throughout the Czech Republic
- NIFC – digitised documents are continuously posted on the www.nulk.cz and www.lidovakultura.cz servers, mapping out various areas of folk culture and folk art.
- They also feature complete editions of the Czech Folk (Český Lid), Ethnographic News (Národopisné actuality) and Ethnographic Journal (Národopisný věstník).
- Digitised songbooks and collections of folk songs, containing a complete edition of basic material for learning about Czech and Moravian folk songs.
The Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space was established in 1967 to bring the best of design for performance, scenography and theatre architecture to the front line of cultural activities to be experienced by emerging artists as well as the general public. http://www.pq.cz/
The portal is run by the Arts and Theatre Institute in English for foreigners and contains up-to-date information on Czech theatres, including a quarterly newsletter, a database of productions heading abroad, a directory of festivals, schools, theatres, institutions and periodicals and a number of other links.
http://www.theatre.cz/
A cultural portal run by the AI, offering up-to-date information on all areas of art, information on grant calls, seminars and conferences, job openings, opportunities for involvement in international cultural policy projects
http://www.culturenet.cz/
A music portal providing information on personalities, organisations and events in the music world in the Czech Republic
http://www.czechmusic.org/
Website of the Czech Office for the European Union Culture Programme.
The measure is financed by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.