The Odesa Regional Development Agency (ORDA), in collaboration with the Odesa Regional Centre of Ukrainian Culture, conducted online training for community representatives and cultural professionals. The participants learned how to use the web platform of the Living Museum project, which enables the preservation, promotion and utilisation of the region’s intangible cultural heritage.

What is the Living Museum?

The Living Museum is an initiative that aims to preserve and present the traditions, rituals, crafts and other elements of the Odesa region’s intangible cultural heritage in a modern way. The digital platform developed by the ARP provides communities with a tool for:

- creation of interactive catalogues of cultural heritage;

- publication of workshops, craftspeople’ stories, educational materials;

- organisation of virtual exhibitions and educational projects.

How does it work?

During the training, which was attended by about 100 representatives of communities and cultural institutions, the following topics were discussed:

• Platform functionality: how to upload materials, create digital exhibitions, and interact with other participants
• Digital tools for promoting intangible cultural heritage: how modern technologies help preserve traditions for future generations
• Grant opportunities: participation in the project increases the chances of communities in receiving funding for cultural and tourism initiatives

Why is this important?

• Preservation of identity: digital archiving helps to prevent the loss of unique traditions
• Tourism potential: the platform can form the basis for new routes and projects
• Economic development: interactive materials attract investment and support local craftspeople

‘The digital format not only helps to preserve heritage, but also makes it accessible to everyone. This is a new step in the development of culture in the Odesa region,’ emphasised Serhii Kononenko, Director of the Odesa Regional Development Agency.

The Odesa Regional Development Agency receives institutional support from the Swiss-Ukrainian project ‘Cohesion and Regional Development of Ukraine’, Project UCORD, which is implemented with the support of Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, by NIRAS Sweden AB.

For more information about the Living Museum and opportunities for communities, visit the project platform at https://museum.oocuk.com.ua