Digital Storytelling Webinar

DESCRIPTIONS

Mariana Ziku Co-founder, Biennale of Western Balkans, Ioannina, Greece

Introduction

Georgia Angelaki, Elena Lagoudi National Documentation Centre, Athens, Greece

Query-based Storytelling: How Semantically Enhanced Structured Data Help Tell Stories About Us

SearchCulture.gr, Greece’s national cross-domain cultural heritage aggregator, is approaching one million items. Over the past decade, we have pioneered a semi-automatic enrichment strategy that enhances metadata across key dimensions—persons, item types, chronologies, themes, and locations—answering fundamental questions: who, what, when, and where. These semantic enrichments enable highly precise search results and advanced discovery services, positioning SearchCulture.gr among Europeana’s leading aggregators. Leveraging Linked Data technologies, we offer fine-grained search capabilities and diverse browsing options, such as map-based visualizations and advanced queries. These tools allow curators to create engaging thematic exhibitions that highlight the richness of Greek cultural heritage. In this presentation, we will demonstrate how semantically-enhanced structured data query forms facilitate the development of curated exhibitions, offering innovative ways to explore and narrate cultural content with an emphasis on presenting Intangible Cultural Heritage and textile heritage in particular.

Georgia Angelaki is a senior practitioner in digital heritage management with extensive experience in business development, project management, policy, advocacy, and semantic technologies. She has worked for the Europeana Foundation managing several EU-funded cultural heritage aggregation projects, shaping digital documentation practices across Europe. She led the digital transition of the National Library of Greece during its relocation to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and currently manages network development for SearchCulture.gr, Greece’s national cultural heritage aggregator, fostering digital transformation within the cultural heritage sector. She is serving on the Europeana Foundation Advisory Board, contributing to European cultural heritage strategy. Georgia is currently pursuing a PhD in Knowledge Representation and Intangible Cultural Heritage Documentation at Aegean University.

Elena Lagoudi is a museologist with international experience in developing digital products, services, and strategies for museums in the UK and Greece. With an MA in Museums Management and a BA in Archaeology, she blends academic insight with practical expertise to drive innovation in the cultural sector. For the past 10 years, Elena has been a part of the development team of the National Greek Aggregator SearchCulture.gr, at the National Documentation Center in Athens. SearchCulture.gr is a public platform which provides access to almost 1 million cultural heritage objects from 100+ institutions from all over the cultural spectrum. As a content curator, she leads digital storytelling through Thematic and Person-based Exhibitions. Elena’s work is instrumental in producing meaningful Discovery Services, transforming how users engage with and explore Greece’s rich cultural legacy. Her main research and creative interests are rooted in the relationship between the word and image, through the lens of participation, representation, inclusion and intersectionality in culture.

Additional links:

https://www.searchculture.gr/aggregator/portal/?language=en

https://www.searchculture.gr/aggregator/portal/thematicCollections

Sabine de Günther, PhD Art historian, Alumni Urban Complexity Lab, University of Applied Sciences, Potsdam, Germany

Restaging Fashion: From Data to Narrative in Fashion Research

Dedicated to the cultural history of clothing, its appearance and (symbolic) character the project “Restaging Fashion” juxtaposes the triad of the sources image-text-dress as a methodological approach to dress research. The project,  situated at the UCLAB (University of Applied Sciences, Potsdam), united approaches from three research areas: Art history, information sciences and computer science. The research data created in the project was structured and modeled by using CidocCRM as the basic structure. Linked open data and vocabularies such as Iconclass or AAT along with the 2D- and 3D-digital images were embedded in the database structure of OmekaS. This enabled for contextualizing research and interlinking between two museum collections. As a result, the ReFa-READER, an interactive Data Visualization, offers numerous entry paths into the collection of vestimentary sources. In a further collaboration, the “3DStories”-interface was created that enables both the exploration as well as a narrative-driven presentation of 3D garment models.

Sabine de Günther, PhD is an art historian with an interdisciplinary approach and a focus on the methodology of dress studies. She examines dress and textiles, not just in terms of their aesthetic appearance but rather as markers of identity. She has a strong interest in Digital Art History, its methodologies and theories, digital research tools, data visualization and all matters related to digital collections.

Additional links: 

Projects: Restaging Fashion, 3DStories

Outputs: ReFa-READER, 3DStories, Bildargumente, 

Github-Repos: ReFa-Reader, 3DStories

Partners: Lipperheidesche Kostümbibliothek – Sammlung Modebild, Kunstbibliothek, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin), Textile, clothing and jewellery collection, Germanisches Nationalmuseum Nürnberg, Centre for Contemporary and Digital History Luxembourg(C²DH)

Sofie Veramme Digital Strategist, Werkplaats immaterieel erfgoed, Bruges, Belgium

An Ethical Data Strategy for Intangible Cultural Heritage with immaterieelerfgoed.be as case study

immaterieelerfgoed.be provides for participatory living heritage inventorying in Flanders. We explored how to develop a user-friendly and accessible data strategy that places the widest possible participation of communities, groups and individuals at its core. We examined the challenges of ethical data sharing, the complexities of applying data standards to ICH, and the limitations of intellectual property frameworks for living heritage. By aligning FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and CARE (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics) Principles, we aim to strengthen data sovereignty and lay the groundwork for ethical integration into the semantic web, thus empowering communities and increasing the digital return of their heritage by disseminating and linking ICH data.

As digital strategist at Workshop Intangible Heritage Flanders Sofie Veramme (she/her) aims to create a sustainable environment for intangible cultural heritage data with ethical data practices as guiding principle, thereby emphasising community stewardship, data standardization and linked data. She graduated at Ghent University as gender historian and at Antwerp University as library and information specialist and worked on numerous digitalisation projects such as Historical Construction Plans for Amsab-ISH and Medieval Monastic Manuscripts (mmmonk.be) for Public Library Bruges. In 2023-2024, Sofie developed the research project on ethical data sharing for intangible cultural heritage. In 2025-2026, Sofie is leading the renewal (3rd version since its launch in 2012) of the Flemish online platform for intangible cultural heritage immaterieelerfgoed.be.

Additional links:

immaterieelerfgoed.be

Vita Ivičič Textile artist and designer in conversation with Zala Orel BIEN Textile Art Biennial founder and director, Slovenia

Nature and traditions as inspirations and guides on sustainability and ecology in textile heritage

Living sustainably is not a new concept; it is embedded in our heritage, particularly within textile practices passed down through generations. Textile heritage and histories (or herstories), often underrepresented, are deeply connected to craft traditions historically associated with women. Understanding these histories allows us to recognize the role of textiles in shaping contemporary society. In this context, contemporary textile art serves as a powerful tool to explore ecological concerns and environmental narratives. Nature continues to be a guide, providing sources, materials, and methods that help us bridge the gap between traditional techniques and modern sustainability efforts, highlighting the importance of preserving both craft and ecological balance. Art research methods, such as practice-based research, offer an important framework for exploring these connections. By engaging directly with materials, techniques, and historical contexts, artists can uncover new perspectives on sustainability, while also preserving traditional knowledge. This approach fosters a deeper understanding of the interplay between art, ecology, and cultural heritage.

Vita Ivičič is a textile artist, designer and educator. She completed her studies at Chelsea College of Art & Design in London. In 2017, she received the award for the most experimental and innovative collection at the Mittelmoda competition in Milan. She experiments with plant-based pigments or prints using botanical printing techniques. Blooming flowers and plants serve as both her inspiration and artistic medium. Since 2022, she has been leading a project dedicated to the production of handwoven Bela krajina linen—overseeing the entire process from flax cultivation, harvesting, and fiber extraction to spinning and weaving. She also creates spatial installations using natural materials. 

Zala Orel is a director and founder of BIEN, Textile Art Biennial Slovenia. She has 15 years of professional experience in the non-governmental cultural sector. Orel holds a master’s degree in communication from the University of Ljubljana and is a PhD candidate at Charles University in Prague, majoring in social geography and regional development. 

Additional links:

https://layer.si/bien/en/kr/vita-ivicic-in-mateja-kavcic-si/ 

Małgorzata Dubasiewicz, PhD Department of Ethnography National Museum in Gdańsk, Member of Polish Ethnological Association, Gdańsk, Poland

Problems and con-texts of ethnographic fieldwork

One of the goals of the project is to document local textile heritages. This process will be carried out through field research, using ethnographic methods. Thus, during the webinar, the following issues will be discussed: what methods do ethnographers use in their work? What is the specificity of qualitative field research, and the problem of the ethnographic research method itself? How can we understand ‘the field’ in anthropology? What ethical issues do ethnologists encounter? How do researchers document and present their results? In the presentation, I will refer to the scholars’ observations and my own research experiences.

Małgorzata Dubasiewicz, PhD – ethnologist, archaeologist. Custodian in the Department of Ethnography National Museum in Gdańsk. Member of Polish Ethnological Association. She collaborates with the University of Gdańsk. Author of exhibitions and academic articles. In her ethnographic research, she focuses primarily on the experience of images. She worked in the Museum of Slovinic Countryside in Kluki. 

Yannis Ziogas, PhD, Professor, Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Western Macedonia, Florina, Greece & Geert Vermeire, Poet, artist, curator

WALC – Walking Arts and Local Communities: Pioneering Collective Creativity through Walking in Peripheries

WALC (Walking Arts and Local Communities) is a pioneering artistic project, in the frame of the Creative Europe Cooperation Grant programme, focused on community-based art practices, particularly Walking Art. This Europe-wide initiative aims to create outdoor art spaces in peripheral areas, allowing artists to innovate through collaboration and co-creation. By establishing a network of partners, organizations, and local groups, WALC supports communities facing isolation and underdevelopment. The project includes the creation of an International Center for Artistic Research and Practice of Walking Art in Prespes, Greece. It will host two major International Walking Arts Encounters in 2025 and 2027, with parallel actions in global NODES, and with local projects and residencies in Prespes and in Portugal, Spain, France, and Belgium over four years. WALC is supported by a digital ecosystem, featuring an online community platform, digital art projects, and an archive dedicated to Walking Arts.

Yannis Ziogas is a painter and professor at the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, School of Fine Arts, University of Western Macedonia (UOWM), where he also served as Dean (2016–2021). His work expands to installations and walking-based practices. He studied Mathematics (University of Athens), holds an MFA from the School of Visual Arts (New York, 1991), and a PhD from the University of the Aegean (2013). He has presented 23 solo exhibitions and participated in numerous shows in Greece and internationally. He is the initiator of the Visual March to Prespa (since 2007) and Artistic and Scientific Coordinator of the Creative Europe project Walking Arts and Local Communities (2024–2027), which will establish an International Center of Walking Art in Prespa. He has edited proceedings and organized international encounters on walking art and contemporary aesthetics. His publications include The Byzantine Malevich, Tarkovsky in Chalkis, and The Diary of a PD/407.

Geert Vermeire is a poet, artist, curator, and cultural producer with a focus on walking arts, sound art, and locative storytelling. His nomadic practice spans Portugal, France, Spain, Greece, and Brazil, with an emphasis on ecological intelligence and collaboration between the global north and south. Since 2019, he artistically co-coordinated the International Walking Arts Encounters in Prespa, Greece, the biannual Walking Arts and Relational Geographies Encounter in Catalonia, WALK Lab2PT and The Walking Body in Guimarães, Portugal, along with co-founding walk listen create, a global online platform for walking artists. He launched Locative Media Supercluster, blending ecology, education and locative media, with support by the British Library, British Council, King’s College, University Canberra and COP27. Since 2024, Vermeire has been the artistic co-coordinator of the EU-funded paneuropean WALC project. Since 2025 he curates the Yamuri project, exploring literature of Artaud, sound art and walking rituals of indigenous people in Mexico.

Additional links: 

website: https://www.walctogether.eu/

social media: https://www.facebook.com/walctogether/ https://www.instagram.com/Walctogether

google form to connect: https://forms.gle/W4xQwJbamsA7k5Tk8

Stavroula Zoi, PhD, George Trichopoulos and the Intelligent Interaction Research Group Department of Cultural Technology and Communication, University of the Aegean, Lesvos, Greece

Roundtable: Digital Storytelling and Virtual Spaces in Arts and Heritage

The roundtable welcomes the participation of the Intelligent Interaction Research Group members, based at the University of the Aegean on Lesvos Island, Greece. The group brings expertise in developing interactive systems for Digital Cultural Heritage Management. The discussion will focus on the state of the art in digital storytelling for cultural heritage, offering a walkthrough of emerging practices and virtual platforms that present collaborative artworks and support co-creation across communities and disciplines.

George Trichopoulos is an IT engineer and PhD candidate at the Department of Cultural Technology and Communication, University of the Aegean. His research specializes in Digital Storytelling for Cultural Heritage, applying computational methods and Artificial Intelligence. He earned a Master’s Degree in Designing Digital Cultural Products with distinction. As a member of the Intelligence Interaction Research Group, he has contributed to numerous cultural projects involving digital storytelling, such as the development of digital twins, 3D mapping, augmented/virtual reality applications, and serious games. His academic work includes case studies on AR smart glasses and the use of Large Language Models like GPT-4 as tour guides or recommendation systems in GLAMs. An experienced educator, he has been active in IT education for over 25 years and has participated in various European projects and international competitions. He also has a strong artistic background in classical music, performing with choirs and orchestras in Greece and abroad.

Stavroula Zoi, PhD is a computer scientist and interdisciplinary researcher specializing in creative technologies. Since 2023, she has been a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of the Aegean, focusing on human creativity in intelligent XR environments. She has been a Laboratory Instructor at the Athens School of Fine Arts (Multimedia Laboratory) since 2004 and has taught in its postgraduate programs, including the Greek-French Master “Art & Virtual Reality” with Paris-8 University and the MA in “Digital Arts.” She also teaches “Design and Development of eXtended Reality Applications (AR & VR) using Unity” in the University of Athens’ E-Learning Programme. Her interdisciplinary research spans collaborations, artistic productions, and research programs, with work presented at international conferences and exhibitions. She collaborates with Fournos Center for Digital Culture and FournosLab. Zoi holds a BSc in Computer Science (University of Ioannina) and a PhD (NTUA, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering).

Additional links:

https://ii.ct.aegean.gr/ 

Penny Hagen, PhD Director Tangata Tiriti, & Angie Tangaere Kaitohu Tangata Whenua , Auckland Co-Design Lab, Auckland, New Zealand

A Story of Grounding Practice in Place

In this session, Angie Tangaere and Dr Penny Hagen (Aotearoa New Zealand) will share the evolution of the practice of The Auckland Co-Design Lab (The Lab). The Lab was established in 2015 in response to demand for better approaches to addressing complex socio-economic challenges. Since its inception The Lab team has shifted from a focus on projects using euro-centric co-design methods to relationships focused on learning and implementation, grounded in place and indigenous practices and knowledges.
Penny Hagen, PhD, assists organisations, teams and communities to take a systems-orientated approach to wellbeing. Working across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand Penny has supported cross-sector teams and communities to respond to complex social issues by connecting policy and evidence to the lived realities and aspirations of communities. Penny has a PhD in participatory design and her work integrates approaches from wellbeing, health, design, youth development, systems, and evaluation disciplines. In addition to co-leading the Lab mahi on design for equity and intergenerational wellbeing, Penny is the design representative on the Ministry for Social Development Ethics committee, on the Understanding Police Delivery Independent Panel, and Ngā Aho Kaupapa Whānau. She is a strong advocate of social design and ethics practices that are of Aotearoa, supporting events and forums that develop and strengthen local practice and networks.
Angie Tangaere was born in Papakura and raised in South Auckland with a whakapapa to Ngāti Porou on her father’s side and Pākehā with a connection to Taranaki on her mother’s side. Graduating with a law degree, Angie was keen to work at a community level and took up a role at Te Puni Kōkiri working with iwi and Māori organisations in South Auckland. Angie then worked with the Ministry of Social Development in South Auckland communities looking for ways to develop better services and engagement with communities and whānau, as well as with Māori health NGO, the National Hauora coalition. She has a Masters in Māori and Indigenous Leadership at University of Canterbury Aotearoa New Zealand and is currently Kaitohu Tangata Whenua, at The Auckland Co-Design Lab. Here she combines her experience with government agencies, community and whānau to develop and co-design whānau-led innovation initiatives, disrupting ineffective ‘business as usual’ systems.

Kostas Karpouzis Assistant professor, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Athens, Greece

AI, Digital Humanities, and the Legacies of Colonial Power

This talk examines the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on digital humanities through a colonial lens, analyzing how AI can both reinforce and challenge colonial power dynamics. AI tools in digital humanities, such as text mining and language preservation, often perpetuate Western epistemologies and marginalize non-Western perspectives due to biases in data and algorithms. Using case studies, this talk highlights AI’s dual role as both a potential perpetuator of colonial legacies and a tool for decolonization. It recommends inclusive AI design, community-driven data governance, and the integration of alternative epistemologies to mitigate AI’s colonial biases and promote more equitable knowledge production.

Kostas Karpouzis, PhD, is an assistant professor at the Department of Communication, Media and Culture at Panteion University. His research deals with algorithms that make computer systems more adaptive to how people interact with them and how digital games and gamification, as cultural artifacts, can be used to teach conventional and social skills. At the same time, he explores the ethical and social values embedded in and influenced by AI systems.

Additional links: https://kkarpou.github.io/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kkarpou/