The background of the pilot is Monumenti Aperti. Since 1997 the Imago Mundi Association, a small non-profit organisation, has coordinated Monumenti Aperti, an annual event which promotes inclusivity and the red iscovery of cultural heritage.

The event promotes smaller, lesser-known, heritage sites which may be in need of care, along with those larger, better known sites. Open Monuments likewise raises awareness of the value of heritage in the social and economic development of communities. The Association achieves this by including institutions, schools, associations and enterprises in their activities.

The initiative has had impressive results. While Open Monuments was initiated 23 years ago primarily in the city of Cagliari in Sardinia, 160 municipalities now take part in the project. The number of volunteers and sites collaborating with the Association is equally impressive – starting with 500 volunteers and 40 participating cultural sites, Open Monuments now counts on the support of 23,000 volunteers and more than 800 cultural sites which are opened to the public for free. 200 schools now officially participate in the event, ensuring the next generation of enthusiasts are involved in the appreciation of heritage.

The EXMA pilot project was created to test a new approach to the training of the guided tours of Monumenti Aperti.

We choose the Exma, the old slaughterhouse of Cagliari, because the monument has changed its function over time, thanks to an intervention of restoration and valorisation to convert it into a contemporary art museum.

Today the ancient slaughterhouse is an important cultural center for the city. No longer a place of death, but a place of life! It is also one of the most visited monuments of the Monumenti Aperti weekend, often interested by special projects, performances, concerts and workshops.

The Pilot Project was created to test a new approach of training the school volunteers for the guided tours of the old slaughter house of Cagliari.

A BADGES-app was created for young adults aged between 18 and 35, seeking work or training, who go on mobility to Malta to gain professional experience abroad, learn and use a foreign language, get to know a foreign environment and culture independently and actively, and gain orientation for the future and their future career path in the scope of the “The Challenge Abroad – Continued” project.

The stay in Malta lasted nine weeks, eight of which were spent doing an internship. Before the stay in Malta, there was also a preparation period during which the participants completed a language course among other things. After their return there was also a follow-up period.

The app was created for use during the stay abroad and during follow-up sessions back in Germany.

In the app different topics are covered, such as culture, food and drink, and everyday life in Malta, each with a few small tasks. During the time in Malta the participants were encouraged to complete these tasks in the different subject areas and document their answers with photos and text. As a small incentive, the participants could also earn a badge if they submitted their answers to all the tasks.

During the follow-up, these results were then used for further reflection, to create memory books or create documents or folders that could be added to their job application to showcase the experience abroad.

Sjarabang annually organizes an inclusive arts festival for people with disabilities. A large number of volunteers guide and support disabled people during their participation in various art workshops. This pilot project in Belgium is a great example of learning in a non-formal way in a cultural setting. The volunteers who were interested did a retrospective test to evaluate the competence ‘supporting cultural participation of people with disabilities’. This way they could earn an electronic badge.

More on this Badges project on the my-VITA platfrom.

The Dutch pilot project aims to increase the interest and awareness in sustaining the windmill heritage in the Netherlands. The project tries to achieve this by providing worksheets to visitors who participate in unguided tours in the city of Schiedam in order to encourage their engagement and learning process. In a later stage these worksheets might be replaced by a mobile app to make them more interactive.

More on this Badges project on https://mahara.vita-eu.org/