CROSS-SECTORAL COLLABORATIONS IN CULTURAL HERITAGE: BRIDGING THE TECHNOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE GAP

The rapid growth and development of technology have changed the way in which museums and heritage institutions operate in this day and age. While the roles of preserving cultural heritage and conveying the stories of the objects in their possession have remained the same, the institutions now find themselves appealing to a different audience to what they were used to in the past. Digital innovations have brought new ways of presenting heritage through smartphones, smart apps, and other smart solutions. In order to remain relevant and attractive for the new potential visitors, cultural institutions have turned to the world of immersive technologies, known as virtual, augmented and mixed reality (VR, AR, and MR). However, due to the infancy and specific characteristics of these technologies, and also lack technological knowledge, museums had to seek expertise and assistance outside their walls. This study aims to show how Dutch museums and heritage institutions have tackled the issue of remaining relevant in a digitized world and attempted to bridge the gap between age-old heritage and state-of-the-art tech. Through ten in-depth interviews with officials from Dutch heritage institutions and representatives from the creative industries, this research argues that the implementation of immersive technologies in heritage is a result of cross-sector collaboration. Furthermore, it identifies key stakeholders, various types of collaboration and the advantages and disadvantages of them for the different parties involved. Finally, this study researches the fairly unexplored area in the academic literature and therefore makes the case for further research to be conducted on the overlap of heritage institutions, creative industries and cutting-edge technology.