E-Learning

 

The EUMillennialsTOUR E-Learning Course

 

The EUMillennialsTOUR e-learning course is intended to enhance knowledge building and skill development for professional stakeholders active in the cultural heritage and tourism industry sector. The course offers training to public and private stakeholders and should inspire the participants in designing their own innovative ideas for future visitor experiences and tourism products, including to attract more young visitors. It is aimed at strengthening current capacities and offers peer group knowledge sharing for the participants. Please exchange your ideas in the FORUM of the EUMillennialsTOUR E-Learning Course at the end of this web page or on: https://www.facebook.com/EUMillennialsTOURforum

The course comprises twelve e-learning modules, which refer to three different main areas:

 

•    Education/ Youth
•    Digitalization
•    Museum and Tourism Development

 

 

Module Overview

 

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E-Learning Course

YOUTH EXCHANGES

EXCHANGING EXPERIENCES BETWEEN YOUTH ORGANISATIONS

1. Introduction

Organising trips and tours to new locations and/ or locations with which you are not very familiar is not only challenging but also time consuming. At the same time there are individuals and networks out there that do already have this experience and are willing to assist in organising such trips.

The Good Practice below showcases an example of how individuals or networks with similar interests can collaborate, mutually benefit and take advantage of each other’s expertise. In the example below, the main actors are young, student volunteers, but the example could also be applied to companies, universities, authorities and other stakeholders. The exchange of expertise and experience could be a commercial one, or conducted pro-bono with the intention to being repaid through getting assisted in the future. A similar concept can be found in the work models of examples as Couch Surfing or Hitchhiking.

Picture: Students of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) during trip to Amsterdam, Image Credit: Quang Huyn Guyen (quanghuynguyen@outlook.com)

2. Background

Picture: The Intranet of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN)
Picture: The Intranet of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN)

The need for the cooperation comes from the fact that the student volunteers of the Erasmus Student Network do not always have the experience in a certain city or country they are planning taking their students.
The students could search online for solutions and organise everything themselves, but as the network already has in place ways for individuals to assist each other, the volunteers take advantage of these tools which in the end will facilitate their tasks.
The network has a type of intranet with the details of all volunteers all over Europe. There people can find the contacts of others and contact them through email or websites. Besides that ESN also has various Facebook groups that unite individuals who work in the same fields of work, that have similar interests, or that belong to certain regions of the network, as well as of course our general network events.
The cooperation is not only beneficial in terms of saving time and taking advantage of previous experiences, it is also financially beneficial for all parties. The visiting groups use the services of the local organisation's partners, hence improving the results of these partnerships.
On the other hand, the visiting groups often get discounted or preferential pricing due to the long-established partnerships already in place with the local organisations, hence saving costs and getting best rates for their activities.

3. Good Practice

Erasmus+ students are eager to travel around Europe in groups, small or big. On the other hand, the local Erasmus Student Network (ESN) organisations are eager to organise larger trips and tours for their Erasmus students – from 50 up to several hundred students per trip.

These trips are often though to cities and destinations that the ESN volunteers are not familiar with, and hence that they have no previous experience with. Therefore the organising volunteers are faced with the challenge to decide on the sites to visits, logistical solutions such as accommodation, transportation, social events, etc. for their students.

In order to solve this, the student community exchanges information and host each other. When an ESN volunteer from Site A is planning to visit Site B, a local student member from site B will guide the Volunteer from Site A, assist them with choosing accommodation venues, suggesting activities, booking the activities for them, and even welcome and participate in the activities during the trip itself, and in that way acting as a local host. This way the planning and organisation of the trip is facilitated and the Erasmus students also feel like they got to know the local culture through the encountering with local students and exploring their recommended activities and sites.

In the same way, when a group of students from Site B decide to travel to Site A, the local volunteers there will take care of the welcoming of the group and assisting with the planning of the activities. In this way, a whole network of student contacts are established, who actively keep in touch and exchange experiences and knowledge due to their constant interactions.

Picture: Logo of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN)
Picture: Logo of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN)

Not only do the exchanges facilitate the work of the trip organisers and has financial benefits for both the hosting and visiting organisation, but the participating Erasmus students also get a feel of the local culture and people. All in all, the experience is more enriching when you’re hosted by a local student or organisation, compared to a trip where you would be partially isolated from the local society due to the lack of direct contact with it.

This same approach is not only relevant to volunteers and students, but it could also be implemented through a network of individuals, SME’s or tourism agencies that collaborate, each with their own specific area and location of expertise.

Not related to trips, but within the Erasmus Student Network we also have network of Mobility Ambassadors (called Mov’in Europe Ambassadors) who consists of individuals who have taken part of different types of international exchanges, hence possess knowledge on how to apply, participate and get the most out of these experience, and who through their Ambassador role and prior experience have committed to share this information with any student or young person who is looking for information about the different opportunities. The Good Practice shared here uses the same method, but applies it within the field of tourism and travel organisation.

4. Effectiveness

and success factors

Success factors:

  • Individuals with local expertise share their knowledge and experience
  • The network is strengthened and maintains active contact through the exchanges
  • Participating students feel like they experienced the local culture and met local people
  • Financial benefit for both hosting and visiting organisations
  • Activities and experience can be repeated with different groups multiple times over a longer-period of time

Effectiveness:

  • Organisers take advantage of others’ experience and knowledge
  • Double work is avoided as local volunteers already have the knowledge
  • Many times it is easier for local volunteers to deal with local companies, than what it would have been for foreign organisers – due to language, local knowledge of practices, previous affiliation, etc.

5. Results and Impact

Several results and impacts have been achieved with the ESN project:

  • Closer connection and cooperation within network
  • Increased satisfaction among students
  • Easier organisation of trips and tours
  • Cost savings for the visiting organisation
  • Financial benefits for the hosting organisation
  • In general the organisations have the possibility to organise more trips and events as the organisation of each trip is easier and hence more human resources can be put on other activities

6. Additional Material

6.1 Links to websites

http://esn.org

http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/index_en.htm

https://www.facebook.com/esn/

6.2 Links to videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31AER3Dn33s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vovN9K8JI-A

7. Questions

This is the professional self-learning section to reflect on the topic, improve your skills and sharpen your creativity. Please use it as a starting point for the development of your own ideas and thoughts. Please select at least one of the questions below and note your answer in max. 1000 characters. You can also use the additional online material or consult other online sources to refine your arguments. Please send your answers to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

1.      The ESN model is designed for larger groups. How could this model be transferred on individual travellers or a company?

2.      You are in the role of a trip organizer: what is your strategy planning a three-day trip in your hometown for a group of 60 students? 

3.      Is there another/ better way of improving travel experiences for larger student groups? Describe your strategy.

Please send your answer(s) to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

Please add the number of this module and the number of the question to your answer (e.g.: module 1, question 1.).

We will not give grades. You will not receive an individual marking and feedback on your answers. Individual feedback will only be given by the online assessment contact.

8. Online Assessment

For those that are interested in deepening their knowledge about the module, a personalized online assessment is offered. For all questions on the topic and further information about this module, please contact your expert for your online assessment. If you have a question closely related to your answer on the module question, please attach this answer to your assessment request.


World Youth Student and Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation

Wendy Morrill

Educational Associate

Email: education@wysetc.org

Skype: wysewendy

9. Contact Information

World Youth Student and Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation

Wendy Morrill

Educational Associate

Email: education@wysetc.org

Phone: +31 20 421 2800

Skype: wysewendy

https://www.wysetc.org

10. Responsible according to the Press Law

V. i. S. d. P.:

Wendy Morrill

World Youth Student and Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation

Keizersgracht 174-176

1016 DW Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Phone: +31 20 421 28 00

CREATIVE MUSEUM TOURS

INNOVATIVE APPROACH IN MUSEUM TOURS

1. Introduction

The Hafenmuseum Speicher XI Bremen (Harbour Museum Storage XI Bremen) tells the story of the ports of Bremen, the Weser correction, the harbour construction and the customs union from the last 120 years. The Harbour Museum Speicher XI is not just a place of remembrance but also accompanies the current development of the “Überseestadt” (Overseas City). It is one of the largest urban development projects in Europe today. Within an area of 300 hectares, a modern and lively district of the city was built up at an historic waterside location over the last 11 years. This new area is marked by the juxtaposition of historic warehouses and contemporary architecture. Traditional companies from old industries pursue their business interests alongside creative industries, fashion design, restaurants, cultural facilities and new forms of housing.

  • The Hafenmuseum offers dialogue-orientated, experimental guided tours and projects
  • It picks up the characteristics of the place: former cotton storage in Bremen at the former Überseehafen (overseas port)
  • Narrative mediation of the topics: interviews with contemporary witnesses, and biographical elements as part of the exhibition. The guided tours set up a reference between the subject to be taught and the visitor and his life.
  • Cooperation with economic experts and contemporary witnesses
  • It includes the specific conditions of the place: the area is both place of history as well as an active business location – one can walk through the history of the past to the present day.
  • Learning with the use of „all senses“
  • Learning by doing: activities in which young people gather their own experiences, organize things themselves, have to overcome challenges – Hafenmuseum as "experience museum"
  • Promotion of self-organized and cooperative learning
  • Cooperation with schools, university, information centres and with experts from the business world
  • Connection of the local with the global, current issues on globalization and sustainability
  • It follows the ideas of education for a sustainable development
  • It tracks inclusive and communicative approaches of mediation work
  • It is built on intrinsic motivations: reference is made to the visitors

Picture: Guided tour of the Old Bremen Harbour, Image Credit: Hafenmuseum Speicher XI
Picture: Guided tour of the Old Bremen Harbour, Image Credit: Hafenmuseum Speicher XI

2. Background

The Hafenmuseum Speicher XI Bremen (Harbour Museum Storage XI Bremen) is located in the historic storehouse Speicher XI in the Überseestadt (Overseas City) in Bremen. The Speicher XI was built from 1908 to 1912 as a cotton storage. The Speicher XI is a station of the "Route of Industrial Heritage in the Northwest" and part of the "European Route of Industrial Heritage”. Residents within Speicher XI are Hafenmuseum Bremen (Harbour Museum), Zentrum für Baukultur Bremen (Centre for Building Culture) and Hochschule für Künste Bremen (University of the Arts Bremen).

Bremen

The Municipality of Bremen is a city in north-western Germany. The city is situated on the River Weser, about 60 kilometres from its entry into the North Sea. With over 500,000 inhabitants, Bremen is the tenth most populous city in Germany. For centuries, Bremen has been a city of merchants, and even today maintains trade connections all over the world.

Überseehafen

The Überseehafen (Overseas Port) was built in the early 20th century as a free-harbour. The duty-free handling of goods was a strong economic advantage for the city of Bremen, and led to a flourishing trade. With the transformation of the merchant shipping from general cargo to container fright, the ships were getting bigger. Many container ships could not reach the port anymore, because the Weser is too shallow for such large vessels. In the 1970s, the economic decline of the city's harbour began until the closure of the international port in 1991. In 1998, the basin of the Überseehafen was filled up, and therefore turned into a new urban area.

Überseestadt

In 2000, the Bremen Senate decided the restructuring of the old harbour areas into a modern business and living district, called “Waterfront”. The Überseestadt became one of the largest urban development projects in Europe. The overseas city is about 300 hectares large, 1 km wide and 3.5 kilometres long. The area is bordered by the banks, quays and embankments that influence sustainable urban space and architecture.

3. Good Practice

Picture: Kids participating in workshop, Image Credit: Hafenmuseum Speicher XI
Picture: Kids participating in workshop, Image Credit: Hafenmuseum Speicher XI

One example of the museums educational program is the school project: "Wie aus Blüten T-Shirts werden und warum upcycling so wertvoll ist. Erkundungen, Interviews, Recherchen und Näh-Workshop” (“How flowers can become t-shirts and why upcycling is so valuable. Explorations, interviews, research and sewing workshop"). The project is designed for 8 sessions, two hours each for secondary level 1 (ISCED Level 2). It was created as part of the "Bremer Schuloffensive" (Bremen’s school campaign) in the school year 2015/2016 in cooperation with the Bremen Information Centre for Human Rights and Development (biz).

3.1 Bremen and Cotton

Bremen played an important role in the global distribution of cotton. Cotton was transported in empty emigrant ships on their way back from America, a very lucrative strategy for Bremen merchants. With the rise of the city to one of the most important emigration ports in the 19th century Bremen also turned into one of the leading trading centres for cotton. The Bremer Baumwollbörse (Cotton Exchange), founded in 1872, the 100 years old cotton storage Speicher XI and many buildings from former Bremen cotton traders are evidence of this heyday. The cotton bales were unloaded in all commercial ports of Bremen. From there they were transported to North Rhine-Westphalia, Southern Germany and Southern Europe for further processing. Today cotton is shipped exclusively in containers. It is transported from the country of origin directly to the processing industries, mainly in Asia. In the 21st century, the Bremen Cotton Exchange is still an important site in the area of quality control and arbitration in case of a dispute.

3.2 Cotton Globally

Cotton is a commodity, an object of speculation, and to this day one of the most important textile raw materials worldwide. Approximately 24 million tons of cotton are harvested on an area about the size of Germany. Most of the cotton is shipped to the so-called low-wage countries where clothes are made from it. Millions of people make a living in this process - growing, harvesting, trading and processing of natural fibres. Fair trade and organic are terms that appear increasingly in the production chain of our clothes. In the project, the single steps in the production chain of clothes are explained, from harvesting the fibre to the sale in the shop. The participants learn about what can be done to improve compliance with international quality and safety standards. Especially after the serious accidents in textile factories in Bangladesh in 2013, our co-responsibility became visible. Objectives and background of improving standards are also part of this project as well as the debate about the contradictions within this thread. There are many other renewable fibres that can be used for the production of clothes. In the store of the trading company Buckmann the attendees get to know other fibres such as camel hair, silk and hemp.

3.3 Research phase

Equipped with research questions, notepads and digital cameras the pupils start their research on the topic of cotton at different locations in Bremen:

  • Harbour museum Speicher XI
  • Bremen Cotton Exchange
  • Wood and factory harbour
  • Baumwolllager Buckmann (cotton storage)
  • Interviews with contemporary witnesses and with an expert on cotton
  • Research boxes on the topic of fair trade clothes (in cooperation with biz - the Bremen Information Centre for Human Rights and Development)

Picture: Sewing workshop, Image Credit: Hafenmuseum Speicher XI
Picture: Sewing workshop, Image Credit: Hafenmuseum Speicher XI

Finally, the students can design and sew for themselves - from used textiles to laces to zippers and many more. The idea is to interest students in customizing and sewing, and to mediate skills for it. It is important to keep the creative freedom and to transport an important message: "You can do anything you want - we'll help you." The students find the materials in their own cupboards at home - or in thrift shops. Therefore, they get to know other ways to purchase clothes, which are outside the normal consumption scheme. As a final step, the project is presented at the museum: selected photos and texts documenting important stages in the project and personal priorities are displayed, giving evidence about the creative discussion of the topic.


Module 1 – Former cotton storage Speicher XI

Exploration and guided tour of the Harbour Museum Speicher XI. Introduction to the project.


Module 2 – Cotton reloading point

Walk through the wood and factory harbour and visit of the cotton storage of the Buckmann Company. Practical content: photo documentation, sketches, notes.


Module 3 – The Bremen Cotton Exchange

Visit of the Bremen Cotton Exchange including the cash office. Practical content: photo documentation, sketches, notes.


Module 4 – How flowers can become t-shirts – research boxes

From harvest to sale:It is about growing conditions, working conditions, who earns how much and what we can do if we want to change something (in cooperation with the biz – Bremen Information Centre for Human Rights and Development).


Module 5 – Everything about used clothes

Rally: documentation of the exploration and survey work on the plan and modelling the master plan. Check my own ideas (in cooperation with the biz).


Module 6 and 7 – Sewing workshop

New cool stuff, such as bags, T-shirts, pillows etc. are made from used textiles, lace, zippers...


Module 8 – Final presentation

The resulting upcycling-works are presented in showcases in the Harbour Museum.

4. Effectiveness

and Success Factors

There are several factors that make this Good Practice a success:

  • "Broad approach"/ multi-faceted approach, which reflects the complexity of the port
  • Use of intrinsic motivations
  • Reference to the participants living environment ("the global in the local")
  • Learning from experience, for example from encounters, from space and sensory experiences
  • Collaboration with contemporary witnesses
  • Successful collaboration with different partners: universities, locally based companies
  • Ability to empathize with space and time
  • Reference to present and future times

5. Results and Impact

Following results have been achieved:

  • The children organise their own exhibition and make a connection with their own lives
  • New topics develop from the projects
  • Students will develop new methods and approaches to a topic
  • Understanding serious discussions
  • Students are sustainably active
  • Students engage their friends, family to visit the museum

6. Additional Material

6.1 Links to websites

http://www.hafenmuseum-speicherelf.de/

6.2 Links to videos

http://www.hafenmuseum-speicherelf.de/Startseite-Film.html

http://panocreator.com/view/index/lid/6201/p/0/y/45.05332723869043/z/1.85%3Cbr%20/%3E

7. Questions

This is the professional self-learning section to reflect on the topic, improve your skills and sharpen your creativity. Please use it as a starting point for the development of your own ideas and thoughts. Please select at least one of the questions below and note your answer in max. 1000 characters. You can also use the additional online material or consult other online sources to refine your arguments. Please send your answers to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

1.      The workshop of the Hafenmuseum was developed as part of a school campaign. Explain what a reasonable partnership between schools and museums/ cultural institutions should necessarily involve.

2.      The cooperation with time witnesses plays an important role in the Hafenmuseum. Describe three other contexts in which the involvement of time witnesses would make sense.

3.      The workshop at the Hafenmuseum provides educational experiences on different levels. But: Do you think the efforts taken in the workshop are appropriate in relation to the outcomes? Note down 5 reasons why or why not.

Please send your answer(s) to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

Please add the number of this module and the number of the question to your answer (e.g.: module 1, question 1.).

We will not give grades. You will not receive an individual marking and feedback on your answers. Individual feedback will only be given by the online assessment contact.

8. Online Assessment

For those that are interested in deepening their knowledge about the module, a personalized online assessment is offered. For all questions on the topic and further information about this module, please contact your expert for your online assessment. If you have a question closely related to your answer on the module question, please attach this answer to your assessment request.


M2C Institut für angewandte Medienforschung

Martin Koplin

Director

Email: koplin@m2c-bremen.de

Skype: Mobile2culture


9. Contact Information

M2C Institut für angewandte Medienforschung

Martin Koplin

Director

Email: koplin@m2c-bremen.de

Phone: +49 421 5905 5402

http://www.m2c-bremen.de/


Hafenmuseum Speicher XI

Am Speicher XI 1

28217 Bremen

Germany

Email: info@hafenmuseum-speicherelf.de

Phone: +49 421 30 38 279

Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday 11.00 – 18.00

10. Responsible according to the Press Law

V. i. S. d. P.:

Martin Koplin

M2C Institut für angewandte Medienforschung

Flughafenallee 10

28199 Bremen

Germany

Phone: +49 421 5905 5402

ITINERARIES FOR YOUTH

CONTEXTUALIZED ITINERARIES FOR YOUTH

1. Background

Whilst it has been threatened for the last 20 years that the paper based travel brochure would become obsolete in the travel industry, it is still very much an essential selling tool for the travel suppliers today. However customers are encouraged to ‘go paperless’ by downloading the digital versions of brochures in order to cut down on our reliance for paper.

Social responsibility if a key part of STA Travels ethos by working with credible partners to secure travel experiences that are authentic, responsible and sustainable.

A strong animal welfare policy is also a Good Practice that has been adopted by many travel suppliers with the huge growth of animal based tourist attractions from the whale/ dolphin attractions at SeaWorld Florida to the Thai Elephant rides that can be run by unlicensed organisations. Many travel companies will no longer be associated with these types of attractions or include them in their itineraries.

The main environmental condition relating to this Good Practice is that the travellers are offered authentic and enriching travel experiences as opposed to the ‘pre-packaged all inclusive‘ (where tourists are encouraged to be confined to a hotel complex and not encouraged to visit the surrounding local communities).

Travellers should be encouraged to support the local communities, by using local accommodation (as opposed to the international chains), using local transport providers travelling over land as opposed to flying where possible, and to eat at the local restaurants. Travellers are encouraged to learn new skills, take on new challenges and even gain qualifications as part of their experience.

Travellers are also encouraged to ‘give back’ by including an element of volunteering, working in a local community as part of their trip.

All of these ingredients will contribute to a successful educational trip for the 15 – 25 target market.

Image Credit: Wilerson S Andrade, Flickr; licensed under CC BY 2.0
Image Credit: Wilerson S Andrade, Flickr; licensed under CC BY 2.0

2. Good Practice

Image Credit: Viaggio Routard, Flickr; Licensed under CC BY 2.0
Image Credit: Viaggio Routard, Flickr; Licensed under CC BY 2.0

Key objectives to creating innovative products that are developed for youth and students are to ensure that the trips destinations offered are safe, current, relevant (to the purpose of travel i.e. educational or leisure), enriching and affordable.

To succeed in these objectives the planning and pre-trip organisation is of paramount importance.

This will involve using local DMCs (Destination Management Companies) who will have local on the ground expertise to share with the travel organisers and are key stakeholders in the process.

The educators and students who travel are also key stakeholders in the process as with their feedback the trips created can be linked specifically to their programmes of study. Feedback via Twitter comments, blogs and letters sent to the travel companies help the travel provider to continue to create, improve and provide unique travel experiences for this target market.

With the current explosion in YouTubers a developing trend is to get a ‘celebrity’ (associated with the youth market) to endorse your products with regards to the marketing of your products. For example STA Travel have worked with bloggers like Joe Weller (see video links below) who worked with STA on promoting the World Cup in Brazil.

Working with the PPPs (Public-Private Partnerships) and SMEs (Small and medium-sized enterprises) in the destinations is also of paramount importance for the success of this good practice; knowing local information such as festivals, events and general local tourist advise is something that travel suppliers will gather data from local tourist boards. Working with the private sector like hostel and accommodation providers, ground handlers will all help towards providing an authentic travel experience which is what this target group would expect, (as opposed to lying on a beach in an all-inclusive resort for a week and not leaving the complex).

3. Effectiveness

and success factors

  • Letters of thanks for arranging a successful trip
  • Repeat bookings
  • Referrals within the same school/ university/ college
  • Word of mouth recommendations to colleagues working in other educational institutions
  • Uploading videos onto Facebook/ YouTube whilst on trip
  • Use of Twitter feeds by teachers and students posted whilst on location (providing that they are positive of course)
  • Getting ‘on trend’ personalities such as YouTubers/ bloggers like Joe Wellar

4. Results and Impact

The success factors that can be used are letters of thanks sent to the travel company from the educational trip leaders (i.e. the teachers, professors and the students themselves) on return from their visits. Furthermore repeat bookings from the same teachers/ educators as well as referrals, (not only within their own school/ university but also to colleagues working in other educational institutions), can also be used as a measure of success.

5. Additional Material

5.1 Links to websites

http://www.statravel.co.uk

http://www.statravel.co.uk/travel-blog/2015/01/why-giving-everything-up-to-go-travelling-is-still-the-best-decision-ive-ever-made/?WT.ac=STA-homepage-test (guest blogger example)

http://grouptravel.statravel.co.uk (educational tour brochures)

5.2 Links to videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i6NXIVzpN0 (famous Blogger Joe Weller endorses STA Travel World Cup song)

https://www.youtube.com/user/statravel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SadXNLeCOTs (launched in 2015 STA Music helps launch budding musicians, hosts gigs in stores at festivals)

6. Questions

This is the professional self-learning section to reflect on the topic, improve your skills and sharpen your creativity. Please use it as a starting point for the development of your own ideas and thoughts. Please select at least one of the questions below and note your answer in max. 1000 characters. You can also use the additional online material or consult other online sources to refine your arguments. Please send your answers to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

1.      STA Travel is eager to win trending YouTubers as vehicles for advertising their products. What do you think of this policy? Could your institution/ workplace also profit from YouTubers?  

2.      With your small sized museum you want to get into the STA Travel catalogue for the next season. Make an action plan.

3.      The STA Travel ingredients for a successful educational trip are designed specifically for the 15-25 year-olds. What adjustments are necessary to transfer the system to the 60-75 target market?

4.      Regarding your own travel experience, what are the key factors to a sustainable educational trip?

Please send your answer(s) to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

Please add the number of this module and the number of the question to your answer (e.g.: module 1, question 1.). 

We will not give grades. You will not receive an individual marking and feedback on your answers. Individual feedback will only be given by the online assessment contact.

7. Online Assessment

For those that are interested in deepening their knowledge about the module, a personalized online assessment is offered. For all questions on the topic and further information about this module, please contact your expert for your online assessment. If you have a question closely related to your answer on the module question, please attach this answer to your assessment request.


STA Travel

Katrina Malley

Educational Development Executive S Wales & SW Region, UK Groups B2B

Email: Katrina.malley@statravel.com

Skype: Katrina.malley@statravel.com

8. Contact Information

STA Travel

Katrina Malley

Educational Development Executive S Wales & SW Region

UK Groups B2B

Email: Katrina.malley@statravel.com

Phone: + 44 7718242106

http://www.statravel.com

9. Responsible according to the Press Law

V. i. S. d. P.:

Katrina Malley

STA Travel

St Georges House

56 Peter Street

Manchester

M2 3NQ

United Kingdom

Phone: + 44 7718242106

THE MUSEOBILBOX

CREATE YOUR OWN MUSEUM

1. Introduction

The Nordwolle Museum was founded in 1996 and is located in Delmenhorst, a former industrial city in north-western Germany, located between the cities of Bremen and Oldenburg. The city is dominated by the former residing industries, especially linoleum, jute, clothing and textile industries, many inhabitants have an immigrant background and their families belong to educationally disadvantaged levels of society.

The location of Delmenhorst between the culturally more diverse and larger cities of Bremen and Oldenburg make it difficult for the museums in Delmenhorst, including the factory museum of Nordwolle, to attract larger tourist groups. According to these demographic and touristic peculiarities, the museums educational department tries to offer actions, such as the Museobilbox, especially for the local population and in particular for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. A special feature of the factory museum is that one can experience the local history exactly where it happened.

Picture: Guided tour at the Nordwolle Museum Delmenhorst, Image Credit: Nordwolle Delmenhorst, Photographer: Maike Tönjes
Picture: Guided tour at the Nordwolle Museum Delmenhorst, Image Credit: Nordwolle Delmenhorst, Photographer: Maike Tönjes

2. Background

The aim of Museobilbox is to give children the opportunity to create their own little "museum box", by doing playful handicrafts. The boxes, mostly in the form of a small diorama, show a historical scene. The content depends on the museum. In the case of Nordwolle Delmenhorst usually issues are chosen that deal with working life and the migration background of the former Nordwolle workers and their families. The museum’s educational staff provide the working-materials, the suggested topics and all relevant information. They also assist the children in the handicraft and the presentation.

Together with the educational staff, the kids re-enact in workshops the way our great-grandmothers used to live and present their experience in the "Museum boxes" afterwards.

The general objective is to increase the participation of local children and youngsters from disadvantaged areas and social groups in the museum as well as the mediation of the museum’s contents. The intention is to address visitor groups who do not belong to the traditional museum visitors (also by involving the parents of the participating children).

The project is sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The Nordwolle Museum has applied for the funding over the Bundesverband Museumspädagogik (Association of Museum Educational Service).

3. Good Practice

This year the action week "Museobilbox" in the Nordwolle addressed the topic "life in great-grandma’s days”.

Picture: Children taking part in the “Museobilbox” project, Image Credit: Nordwolle Delmenhorst, Photographer: Maike Tönjes
Picture: Children taking part in the “Museobilbox” project, Image Credit: Nordwolle Delmenhorst, Photographer: Maike Tönjes

Therefore the nine participating children slipped into the role of workers' children and young workers employed in the Nordwolle about 100 years ago. Over three days the children took part in various workshops. In their roles they experienced the different aspects of the workers' everyday life and the life at that time in the Nordwolle. Subsequently, the children processed their experiences of these days into the "Museum boxes", and exhibited the boxes at the end of the week.

The project "Museobilbox", which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) requires two local partners working with children and young people between three and sixteen years from educationally disadvantaged groups. In the case of Nordwolle museum the „Youth Center Sachsenstraße“ and the „Wollepark Community Center Sachsenstraße“ functioned as partners. The action was performed by the museum's educational staff.

With the "Museobilbox" project a close relation between subject and audience is established, since many of the children who live in Wollepark have a similar migration background or even descent from those foreign workers who traditionally presented the majority of workers in the Nordwolle. Therefore the project offers many links for the participating children to learn and to emulate something about their own family history


Program:

Day 1: On the basis of photos and names from the factory museum, the children select their "historical identity" for the next week, and learn the "history" of their chosen person. Then the children dress up in historical clothing, take part in a portrait photo shooting, and write postcards to their parents in their historic roles.

Day 2: Adventure day "life without electricity". The children grind grain by hand, bake bread, produce butter manually, and cook a typical worker‘s-potato soup.

Day 3: Adventure day "washday like 100 years ago". The children experience a historic washday with the associated equipment. In addition, there is a historic breakfast and a socks potting action.

Day 4 and 5: The children create their individual "Museum boxes" from the perspective of the "historical" person, they have embodied the last days. The following Sunday, the children present their boxes in the historical costumes to family and friends. The boxes are exhibited for one month in the museums education rooms.

The program takes about three hours a day. Through this intensive and practical study the children get a taste of the past living conditions in the Nordwolle. Additionally, they learn about the traditional tasks of a museum in a clear way. This playful kind of mediation creates a strong identification with the subject and the "historical" person. It increases the zeal and commitment of the children involved and thus the learning effect. The museum becomes associated with fun and interaction, which ideally leads to a long-term commitment of the children with the museum.

 

Picture: Children dress up in historical clothes, Image Credit: Nordwolle Delmenhorst;Photographer: Maike Tönjes
Picture: Children dress up in historical clothes, Image Credit: Nordwolle Delmenhorst;,Photographer: Maike Tönjes

This is of particular importance, since the "Museobil" program specifically addresses children from educationally disadvantaged levels of society, who have no access to museums and to similar cultural events. As a multiplier effect in this context, the families and friends of the children involved, visit the museum at the presentation of the "Museum boxes", a lot of them for the first time in their lives. Thus, the families and friends become multipliers of a positive experience and have the potential to increase the awareness of the museum and its offerings among audiences, which are normally difficult to be advertised.

Another positive side effect is the enhanced perception of the museum as a social place in the city, which is involved in the care of children and adolescents and in playful knowledge and cultural mediation. It therefore gets interesting for parents from disadvantaged backgrounds who are little enthusiastic about museums.

The playful communication of historical content and living conditions, which, for example, schools, are unable to afford, increases the potential learning effect and the historical interest of the participating children.


4. Effectiveness

and success factors

  • Children can participate actively, wear historical clothes and get to know historical working and living conditions
  • Motivating (and motivated) museum educational staff ensures smooth running
  • Early bond of children and families to the museum
  • Technical conditions (space, raw materials) are available
  • Close contact between museum educators and youth facilities, which in some cases are also funding partners
  • Strong multiplication effects for the museum in the local population, positive image

5. Results and Impact

Because of the playful practical approach a high level of identification and participation of the children involved is achieved as well as a successful placement of topics and content. Another effect is an early bonding of children to the museum, which also extends to the children’s families. With the "Museobilbox" project the museum can reach a higher level of awareness, particularly in sections of the population who do not belong to the classical museum visitors, so the so-called educationally disadvantaged. Therefore, groups are reached, where classical museum marketing often fails.

With fact that in connection with these actions the children stay in the museum for quite a long time (up to 3 hours daily over the course of a week), also comes a child care aspect, under which the museum is perceived as a trustful place where children and parents can go to. This strengthens the position of the museum as a place of interaction for as many people as possible and increases the awareness of the institution.

6. Additional Material

6.1 Links to websites

https://www.delmenhorst.de/aktuelles/presse/151027-museum-museobilbox-projekt.php

https://foerderung.buendnisse-fuer-bildung.de/massnahmebeschreibung/24/

http://www.kubinaut.de/de/magazin/termine/museobilbox/

6.2 Links to videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfXsqk1nIkE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9EDGuN7UMw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEAhwmolTVY

7. Questions

This is the professional self-learning section to reflect on the topic, improve your skills and sharpen your creativity. Please use it as a starting point for the development of your own ideas and thoughts. Please select at least one of the questions below and note your answer in max. 1000 characters. You can also use the additional online material or consult other online sources to refine your arguments. Please send your answers to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

1.      Delmenhorst is a city dealing with demographic and touristic peculiarities. In how far can the example of the Museobilbox serve as a model for other smaller cities with similar location factors?

2.      The Museobilbox can help to attract educationally disadvantaged people as museum visitors and supports the participation in the museum in one single case. What are necessary steps to make the participation of the newly gained visitors sustainable? Invent a strategy for a participative design to involve the newly gained visitor group in the conception of the permanent exhibition including digital and social media.

3.      Historical re-enactment is sometimes used as a touristic and as an educational strategy but still is questionable for some stakeholders. What do you think about the use of history online games for museums education? Please describe the advantages/ disadvantages.

4.      Migration is a key topic in education. What would be a smart strategy in the design of educational offers in cultural institution as museums specifically for people with a migration background?

Please send your answer(s) to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

Please add the number of this module and the number of the question to your answer (e.g.: module 1, question 1.).

We will not give grades. You will not receive an individual marking and feedback on your answers. Individual feedback will only be given by the online assessment contact.

8. Online Assessment

For those that are interested in deepening their knowledge about the module, a personalized online assessment is offered. For all questions on the topic and further information about this module, please contact your expert for your online assessment. If you have a question closely related to your answer on the module question, please attach this answer to your assessment request.


M2C Institut für angewandte Medienforschung

Martin Koplin

Director

Email: koplin@m2c-bremen.de

Skype: Mobile2culture


9. Contact Information

M2C Institut für angewandte Medienforschung

Martin Koplin

Director

Email: koplin@m2c-bremen.de

Phone: +49 421 5905 5402

http://www.m2c-bremen.de/


Nordwolle Delmenhorst – Nordwestdeutsches Museum für IndustrieKultur

Am Turbinenhaus 10-12

27749 Delmenhorst

Germany

Email: nordwollemuseen@delmenhorst.de

Phone: +49 4221 29858 20

Opening hours: Tuesday – Friday, Sunday 10:00 – 17:00 

10. Responsible according to the Press Law

V. i. S. d. P.:

Martin Koplin

M2C Institut für angewandte Medienforschung

Flughafenallee 10

28199 Bremen

Germany

Phone: +49 421 5905 5402

THE EDEN PROJECT IN CORNWALL

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL APPROACHES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

1. Introduction

The creation of exciting, thematic, contextualised, age-relevant and ‘hands on’ learning materials is of absolute paramount importance to ensure that learners will engage in the subject area. This is not only relevant to the end user (the learners themselves) but also to the educators to ensure that they ‘buy in’ to the project. Today, teachers are under enormous pressure to deliver grade 1 lessons by awarding bodies (in the UK) such as Ofsted with one of the key objectives in the inspection process being ‘were the learners engaged?’. If they can see that their learners are inspired and engaged then this will encourage the teachers to ‘buy in‘ to the project.

Whilst there will always be a place for the good old fashioned ‘ work sheet’ the online resources that can be downloaded to students phones/ laptops have much more appeal to learners so  this is something we need to consider when designing materials for the project.

Picture: The Eden Biome, Image Credit: Photographer Katrina Malley
Picture: The Eden Biome, Image Credit: Photographer Katrina Malley

2. Background

Picture: Tour through the Eden Biome, Image Credit: Photographer Katrina Malley
Picture: Tour through the Eden Biome, Image Credit: Photographer Katrina Malley

From my research (and experiences of visiting this world renowned tourist attraction), The  Eden project is ‘a charity and leading tourist attraction promoting bio-diversity, eco tourism, exploring how we can all work towards a better future.’

With this in mind the resources that they have developed for their learners seem to  be centred around protecting the environment. They are also sustainable and seek to reduce the carbon footprint of its visitors once they arrive on site.

On visiting their website and in particular their ‘ Higher Educational page’ one can see a full description of what makes an Educational trip to the project so unique. It also demostrates the need to produce high quality resources for their educational groups.

The page gives headings on what makes the trip so engaging for its  educational visitors and explains how the attraction can link to particular areas of study.  From tours, workshops and bespoke visits that can be tailormade to meet the class/ groups specific requireemnts to residential trips and workshops. Some of the subject areas that their programmes cover are biology, conservation, sustainablity, architecture and design (just to name a few).

3. Good Practice

Picture: The Eden Project, Image Credit: Photographer Katrina Malley
Picture: The Eden Project, Image Credit: Photographer Katrina Malley

An example that I am using for best practice is the Eden Project in Cornwall as they provide some amazing educational resources for teachers that can be carried out by learners, before, during and after the visit to the attraction.

The Eden Project is an educational charity.  Their visitor destination is located in the South West of England, Cornwall and is set within a large crater.  Within this crater rise huge Biomes which house the largest rainforest in captivity today where visitors have access to a range of plants, gardens, a rainforest canopy and so much more to engage the visitors from families, to schools, colleges and universities. The aim of the Eden Project is to connect us with each other and to the living world whilst explroing how we can work towards a more sustainable and better future.

                                

The sort of resources that they provide range from:

  • Up to 12 different lesson plans that teachers can embed into their schemes of work at the beginning of term. This is a huge selling point for the attraction as teachers would consider this to be a fantastic resource.
  • They offer workshops whilst on locations
  • You can download trails to plan the trip in advance
  • Download newsletters to stay up to date with new exhibitions and displays for teachers ( and students).
  • Videos are posted on the educational page of their website of showing  schools visits to the Eden Project to market the attraction to other teachers
  • Teacher training is offered whereby the attraction invites teachers to the project in advance of the trip and to assist with delivery of the curriculum.

4. Effectiveness

and success factors

Success factors of implementing this good practice should lead to:

  • Wider appeal encouraging teachers to select tourist attractions if the learning resources are already in place.
  • Increased visitor numbers to the attractions - resulting in long term employment (multiplier effect).
  • Extension of the tourism season by encouraging shoulder and off season visits to the destinations using the educational market segment.
  • Fully engaged students and an immersive learning experience if the resources are exciting.

5. Results and Impact

The success factors that can be used from the Eden project is by its outstanding visitor numbers.

In the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (UK) in 2014, The Eden project was ranked number 34 with over 860,000 visitors. This has to be a huge measure of success, coupled with the fact that a large part of this market was form the educational sector.

http://alva.org.uk/details.cfm?p=423

6. Additional Material

6.1 Links to websites

http://www.edenproject.com/learn/schools

Eden project ranked 34 in top UK tourist attractions with 860k visitors in 2014:

http://alva.org.uk/details.cfm?p=423

6.1 Links to websites

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GNhsMT5Npo

7. Questions

This is the professional self-learning section to reflect on the topic, improve your skills and sharpen your creativity. Please use it as a starting point for the development of your own ideas and thoughts. Please select at least one of the questions below and note your answer in max. 1000 characters. You can also use the additional online material or consult other online sources to refine your arguments. Please send your answers to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

1.      Transferring the school class program to other visitor groups: how would you design that step? Please describe your ideas.

2.      The hands on-format realized at the Eden Project is a smart educational technique in the fields of sustainability/ nature/ biodiversity. Can you imagine other formats or educational topics where hands-on is a promising strategy to improve the learning success? Please, give at least 3 examples.

3.      For the pupils a visit at the Eden Project can be a great learning experience. But is it a one-way profit chain? How could the Eden project use the children’s and teacher’s knowledge for their own enhancement and development?

Please send your answer(s) to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

Please add the number of this module and the number of the question to your answer (e.g.: module 1, question 1.).

We will not give grades. You will not receive an individual marking and feedback on your answers. Individual feedback will only be given by the online assessment contact.

8. Online Assessment

For those that are interested in deepening their knowledge about the module, a personalized online assessment is offered. For all questions on the topic and further information about this module, please contact your expert for your online assessment. If you have a question closely related to your answer on the module question, please attach this answer to your assessment request.


STA Travel

Katrina Malley

Educational Development Executive S Wales & SW Region, UK Groups B2B

Email: Katrina.malley@statravel.com

Skype: Katrina.malley@statravel.com

9. Contact Information

STA Travel

Katrina Malley

Educational Development Executive S Wales & SW Region

UK Groups B2B

Email: Katrina.malley@statravel.com

Phone: + 44 7718242106

http://www.statravel.com


Eden Project

Bodelva

Cornwall

PL24 2SG

United Kingdom

http://www.edenproject.com/

10. Responsible according to the Press Law

V. i. S. d. P.:

Katrina Malley

STA Travel

St Georges House

56 Peter Street

Manchester

M2 3NQ

United Kingdom

Phone: + 44 7718242106

DIGITAL NATIVES

DIFFERENTIATION IN MOBILE

1. Introduction

A well-crafted digital presence is fundamental for attractions. The mobile digital presence of attractions – how they deliver information and engage mobile consumers – is critical for increasing awareness and revenue.

Younger travellers’ behaviour and mobility patterns are changing towards more flexible and spontaneous decision-making, facilitated to a large extent by mobile devices. While previously decisions to visit attractions were taken well in advance, today, the mobile device has the potential to facilitate spontaneous decision-making with regard to on-site exploration and discovery. In such a scenario, most often, tourists would refer to the mobile Web in order to optimise their trip.

A mobile website that provides the right information at the right time is, therefore, critical in order to increase awareness among visitors, encourage them to visit the attraction and engage with it before, during and after their visit. These processes, as well as finding the right information to make such swift and sudden decisions depends heavily on the user experience that visitors have with the mobile website.

A negative user experience leads to negative brand perception, as well as a missed opportunity to attract digital natives/ the Millennial traveller and engage them with the attraction. It is important to help attractions, as well as destinations and other tourism businesses to question their mobile digital presence and look for ways to improve it.

Picture: Visitors in London in front of the Natural History Museum, Image Credit: SE1 Media
Picture: Visitors in London in front of the Natural History Museum, Image Credit: SE1 Media

2. Background

Picture: Participant testing websites in mobile field test, Image Credit: SE1 Media
Picture: Participant testing websites in mobile field test, Image Credit: SE1 Media

The Digital Tourism Think Tank (SE1 Media) in collaboration with WYSE Travel Confederation carried out a mobile field study, aimed to understand better whether and how mobile content changes the perception of young travellers towards a destination.

Each field test was carried out in London with one participant and two moderators, taking around 30 minutes per person. Digital Natives, aged between 14 and 35, were asked about their current perceptions of two locations on a 7 point scale followed by randomly showing the participants the mobile optimised website of either the Victoria and Albert Museum or Queen Elisabeth Olympic Park and the full website of the other attraction. Participants were asked to access information on the full and mobile optimised websites about each point of interest and make a decision on whether they would like to visit the point of interest. After this test, they were asked again about their perception with regards to the websites and point of interest on a 7-point scale.

3. Good Practice

Digital Natives involved in the field study were aged between 14 and 35. The participants were from following countries: Australia, China, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, UK, USA and Russia. 90% of participants used smartphones every day, 10% of participants had no smartphone.

For participants involved in the field study, hearing name of the attraction already leads to them having a certain image of the attraction or assuming what they can see and experience within the attraction. Keywords that are part of the attraction name trigger recognition among participants that are unfamiliar with the attraction and its name.

When dividing the participants of the study into groups, they were asked to access either mobile optimised or full websites of the attractions and look for points of interest within the attractions that could help them form a decision on whether to visit or not. The perception towards the website and the point of interest were recorded with a 7-point scale.

3.1 Results for Victoria and Albert Museum websites

The mobile website is ranked higher than the full website in all dimensions. The overall ranks show that the participants perceived the mobile website as easy to use, clear and pleasant. On the contrary, the full website is considered as dull, uninteresting and unattractive. Participants found the mobile website easier to use than the full website.

Nevertheless, users also criticised the mobile website. They pointed out that the website did not provide a clear overview of the museum. Some participants even thought that the museum was a shopping centre. This might be due to the fact that the mobile website uses the same design codes as fashion and e-commerce websites. Additionally, one of the first elements promoted on the mobile website is the museum shop. Practical information, such as location, prices and opening times, are not immediately available and not visible on the home page. Travellers, who need information quickly without spending too much time on the internet, while on-site, perceive this as an inconvenience. From the results, it is clear that they want to know immediately where the attraction is.

The mobile website’s ratings for creativity (4.9) and attractiveness (4.7) are lower than expected. It is perceived as tidy and well organised. However, as the exhibitions are promoted on the home page, participants thought that the topic of the museum was restricted to that of its current exhibitions (fashion, wedding dresses).

Surprisingly too, the full website was considered as quite clear (3.9) to understand and easy to use (4.1). The full website’s navigation is similar to that of a desktop website, that’s why participants have the know-how to navigate across the pages.

3.2 Results for Olympic Park websites

The participant ratings for the mobile and full websites for the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park show that the difference between the two websites was more dramatic than those of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The full website was perceived as less creative, not particularly interesting and attractive. Likewise, the full website was more difficult to use and unclear.

Unlike the full website, the overall ratings for the official mobile website of the Olympic Park were high for all dimensions. The website was rated as creative, interesting and attractive and was perceived easy to use and clear.

The mobile website of the Olympic Park scored higher than the official website of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

3.3 Design improves reputation

After looking at the mobile website, participants have a better perception of the museum than before. Their excitement towards their possible visit grew (from 4.4 to 4.9). They expected to enjoy their visit at the museum more than before viewing the website (from 4.9 to 5.2). The tidiness of the website and the choice of fashion photos give participants the feeling for a modern museum. Nevertheless, after looking at the website, some participants were less excited to visit the museum. Due to the topics of the exhibitions promoted, some male participants thought that the museum was mainly about fashion and lost interest, as they considered the attraction more relevant for women.

3.4 Design improves reputation

On the contrary, participants who have looked at the full website have worse perception of the museum than before, from 5.0 to 4.3. Their excitement towards a possible visit dropped from 4.8 to 4.2. Participants lost interest in the attraction (from 5.6 to 4.5). Nevertheless, the overall ratings of their expected experience are still above average. The full website scored well because it provides a menu with clear and explicit sections to find concrete information.

4. Effectiveness

and success factors

  • Design of a website impacts on the reputation of an attraction
  • A good mobile website can change attitude and motivation in seconds
  • Design influences perception
  • A full website could have its benefits
  • Unclear messages damage motivation to visit
  • Elements that influence perception are being clarified
  • High importance on pictures
  • Practical information is crucial for visitors
  • Immediacy of information is important for young travellers
  • Images and photos have a threefold function (allow recognition, provide indicative visual language, increase motivation)

5. Results and Impact

Attractions need to speak experiences: Digital natives do not have time and will only look at a website for a very short time. When they first open the mobile website, it has to be immediately clear what they can do, see and experience within the attraction, including authentic images that communicate actual experiences is key.

Visual layout has to be spot on: All elements within a website should communicate a positive tone and enforce the image of the attraction. In this context, apart from images, button colours, tabs, links, and fonts should be considered carefully.

Be practical and match tourist’s needs: When on site, young travellers seek concrete answers to critical questions that form part of their decision-making. It is important to deliver answers to their needs.

Location & Directions: On-site needs differ among travellers, but when it comes to large environments and limited amount of time, it all boils down to one: location. When deciding whether to spontaneously visit an attraction, its location plays a key role in making a decision. This, as well as directions how to reach, should be easy to find on the website.

Push notifications: Young travellers are active, and often in a hurry. Especially in dense built up environments, they might miss out and not notice an attraction in their vicinity. This is why push notifications are critical in order to attract and engage visitors.

Exceed expectations: When looking up information, tourists have already drawn certain conclusions based on previous knowledge, or the name of the attraction. A brand has only a limited amount of time to match those expectations or change them for the better.

6. Additional Material

6.1 Links to websites

http://queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk

http://www.vam.ac.uk

http://thinkdigital.travel/all-insights/differentiation-in-mobile/

7. Questions

This is the professional self-learning section to reflect on the topic, improve your skills and sharpen your creativity. Please use it as a starting point for the development of your own ideas and thoughts. Please select at least one of the questions below and note your answer in max. 1000 characters. You can also use the additional online material or consult other online sources to refine your arguments. Please send your answers to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

1.      What do you think about the methodology and the results that emerged from the field study? Are the findings really practical? Why or why not?

2.      What other conclusions for the design of mobile web content of cultural institutions can you find?

3.      If you would be in the role of the museum’s curator, which further digital media offers would you design for your institution to capture the attention of the digital natives?

Please send your answer(s) to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

Please add the number of this module and the number of the question to your answer (e.g.: module 1, question 1.).

We will not give grades. You will not receive an individual marking and feedback on your answers. Individual feedback will only be given by the online assessment contact.

8. Online Assessment

For those that are interested in deepening their knowledge about the module, a personalized online assessment is offered. For all questions on the topic and further information about this module, please contact your expert for your online assessment. If you have a question closely related to your answer on the module question, please attach this answer to your assessment request.


X23 Srl

Marika Mazzi Boém

Project Manager

E-Mail: marika.mazzi.boem@x-23.org

Phone: +39 06 94356265

Skype: marika.sviluppo

9. Contact Information

Digital Tourism Think Tank & SE1 Media

Ramona Wagner

Programmes Director

E-Mail: Ramona.wagner@se1media.com

Phone: +44 20 71931003 ext. 3

http://se1media.com

10. Responsible according to the Press Law

V. i. S. d. P.:

Ramona Wagner

SE1 Media Ltd.

International House

Dover Place

TN231HU

Ashford

United Kingdom

Phone: +44 20 71931003 ext. 3

DIGITAL TOURISM BUSINESS FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME

IMPROVING COMPETITIVENESS IN TOURISM BUSINESSES BY DEVELOPMENT OF AN ICT-BASED COMMUNITY

1. Introduction

The Digital Tourism Business Framework programme in Wales aims to contribute directly to improving competitiveness in tourism businesses by a mixture of direct improvement in internal business processes and of follow-on measures to reinforce changes and promote further innovative approaches through the development of an ICT-based community. In this way it is helping to accelerate and maintain the integration of information society tools and services into ground level tourism activities carried out by SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises).

To a large extent, the initiative was a response to a review of the use of ICT (information and communication technology) by key sectors in Wales in 2006 – 2007. This review included hotels and restaurants among its target industries and showed that, at 41%, tourism businesses reported the lowest level of internet connectivity of all sectors. Only 5% used customer relationship management systems and while 75% of tourism businesses had a website, only 32% sold on line and only 10% received payments on line.

The Welsh tourism industry consists mainly of small businesses and it was decided that an appropriate response would be a programme with a number of interrelated support actions including workshops, training and seminars, but also tailored ICT diagnostic exercises and assessments of individual businesses. However, as well as actions intended to help enterprises change their business processes in relation to ICT, there were measures to help maintain and reinforce these changes through the development of digital communities and information and knowledge sharing platforms, giving access to developing tools and applications, and support for innovative pilot projects. The intention was to better equip the tourism industry in Wales to generate, share and distribute tourism content and to use ICT tools to provide quality services.

Picture: Thomasova Zsi, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
Picture: Thomasova Zsi, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

2. Background

The 5 year Strategic Plan of Visit Wales highlighted the need for the tourism industry there to adapt quickly and fundamentally in order to regain competiveness and the Tourism Strategy for Wales for 2006 – 2013 identified the need to invest in new skills, approaches and technologies as one of the Strategic Priorites.

The funding for the programme came from the European Regional Development Fund, the Welsh government and the private sector in the form of contributions to specific projects.

The available data at that time indicated a low level of penetration of ICT in a tourism industry that mainly consisted of small businesses and was fragmented in its online visibility. Wales needed to extend its visibility and the tourism industry had to be encouraged to accept and use modern technological means as essential marketing tools. The vision of the programme was that by end of 2014 Wales’ tourism industry will have moved from relative e-business immaturity firmly into the digital age

3. Good Practice

The programme is structured around four interrelated areas of intervention:

Provision of direct support by a specialised consultant to tourism SMEs including 750 ICT health checks and diagnostic exercises, guidance on business and technology operation to encourage a more proactive participation in digitally networked environments, training and seminars to improve ICT skills, presentation of case studies and online discussion forums. By April 2013, 569 tourism businesses had already had an ICT diagnostic performed and this will be followed up by reviews to assess the progress made.

  • Financial and logistical support from the Visit Wales team for the formation of collaborative digital communities in various areas of Wales, to assist in the collection, up-dating, exchange and distribution of digital travel related information and to develop ideas for projects.
  • Funding of up to 20 projects, competitively selected, and piloting innovative technology products and services, including digital technology solutions to improve visitor experience in key tourism attractions Project funding ranges between £20k and £200k (~€25k – ~€250k). Many of the projects are a result of the ideas developed by the digital communities and are also expected to reflect ideas developed in the technology horizon scanning, that has reviewed the current state of the technology.
  • Activities by the Visit Wales team promoting user-generated content sharing processes, using cloud based systems, the development of a pan-Wales tourism sector knowledge base (digital ecosystem) and an open interoperable platform, plus demand creation using the content.

The programme therefore addresses both the demand side - improving information provision and strengthening the online presence of firms in order to attract tourists - and the supply side by focusing on improving the services provided by firms and support organisations, while also encouraging the effective networking of the players in the digital community and the exploitation of innovative content, services, distribution and applications.

Another strand of activities – Digital Marketing was centred on the development of a new Visit Wales website, along with a package of initiatives to build an open platform infrastructure and associated ecosystem development. “Visit Wales” site was launched in July 2013. It features extensive rich media and social media content. Wider digital marketing includes integrated and thematic content led campaigns and CRM (Customer-Relationship-Management)/ database driven marketing has drawn extensively on content from a dedicated Flickr group.

4. Effectiveness

and success factors

Monitoring and evaluation are an integral part of the programme and three “stage gate” reviews have been established to assess progress and make any necessary adjustments. The relevant baselines have also been established and specific targets were set at the outset of the programme for the main indicators. According to the available published results, the programme reported that over half of the enterprises involved had achieved a step change in their e-commerce skills, and also indicated that 30% of the businesses that had received the ICT diagnostic assessment were showing an increase in visitor numbers.

There was a broad consensus that the site had been successful in generating and sharing content, although more could be done to promote its usage by the industry.

5. Results and Impact

The Digital Tourism Business Framework (DTBF) programme has had notable successes, delivering ICT diagnostics to more than 700 tourism businesses across Wales, funding 45 innovative digital development projects and engaging a high proportion of tourism businesses into sharing online resources to support digital marketing.

Key Findings – Delivery against targets Indicator Target Actual Enterprises
Assisted (ICT diagnostics) 750 738 Enterprises financially
Supported (competitive grants) 50 45
New or improved products, processes or services launched by Jan 2015 406 2010 Initiatives
Addressing barriers to ICT uptake 5 5
DFTBF SMEs at Step 3 progressed one step of e-business maturity ladder 12.5%

57%1

64%2

Tourism businesses using 15% 41%3

Source: Welsh Government (2014)

1 57 per cent were at Step 3 or above on the maturity ladder.

2 64 per cent had progressed at least one stage on the maturity ladder.

3 This is based on the assumption that there are approximately 10,000 tourism business in Wales, combined with records showing 4,100 unique users accessed the site.

6. Additional Material

6.1 Links to websites

http://www.visitwales.com

https://www.flickr.com/groups/sharewales

6.1 Links to videos

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCS8D3wqwu9Pq0MP95ARb6g

https://youtu.be/QyACiQf_h84?list=PL48833C337F69CED3

https://youtu.be/M1Uy5YZT68c?list=PL48833C337F69CED3

https://youtu.be/YkRuhfTDO5k

7. Questions

This is the professional self-learning section to reflect on the topic, improve your skills and sharpen your creativity. Please use it as a starting point for the development of your own ideas and thoughts. Please select at least one of the questions below and note your answer in max. 1000 characters. You can also use the additional online material or consult other online sources to refine your arguments. Please send your answers to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

1.      Welsh Tourism profited from a sustainable funding.  What ideas do you have for the future development of the program, that don’t depend on large funds but can be realized with smaller budgets?

2.      Digital Marketing has become highly important in tourism. How could the next steps on this path look like for Wales?

3.      In which way could the educational sector profit from the results and actions taken in the Welsh Tourism industry?

Please send your answer(s) to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

Please add the number of this module and the number of the question to your answer (e.g.: module 1, question 1.).

We will not give grades. You will not receive an individual marking and feedback on your answers. Individual feedback will only be given by the online assessment contact.

8. Online Assessment

For those that are interested in deepening their knowledge about the module, a personalized online assessment is offered. For all questions on the topic and further information about this module, please contact your expert for your online assessment. If you have a question closely related to your answer on the module question, please attach this answer to your assessment request.


X23 Srl

Marika Mazzi Boém

Email: marika.mazzi.boem@x-23.org

Skype: marika.sviluppo

9. Contact Information

X23 Srl

Marika Mazzi Boém

Email: marika.mazzi.boem@x-23.org

Phone: +39 06 94 35 62 65

Skype: marika.sviluppo

http://www.x-23.org/

10. Responsible according to the Press Law

V. i. S. d. P.:

Marika Mazzi Boém

X23 Srl

Via Paraguay 5

00198 Rome

Italy

Phone: +39 06 94 35 62 65

SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS WITHIN HIGHER EDUCATION

COMMUNICATING TO YOUNG PEOPLE IN AN EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT

1. Introduction

Listening and monitoring social networks like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for key words or hashtags and responding to create a dialogue and establishing an online relationship with students/ stakeholders.

Example:

When a student tags your account and comments about your school or institution, reply back and let them know they’re being heard. It cannot only add new followers, but it can be the beginning of another student being engaged with their school and spreading the positive mentions to others on social media. It really can amplify your brand!

Social media is a two-way street. Make sure you are actively involved in what is being said about your institution.

2. Background

University campus with access to (free) WiFi for all students, faculty and guests.

We offer a social media directory and guidelines to help students, faculty, and staff manage their social media better. It’s available at http://unh.edu/social

UNH Communications and Public Affairs is responsible for the official UNH social media accounts. Colleges, departments and organizations at UNH do an amazing job managing their individual social networks, which are located inside the UNH Social Media Directory. The #UNHSocial team is an operation providing support and helping colleges, departments, and organizations formulate their own social media strategy. We also help explain the importance of measuring success through analytics & engagement. All this information can be found on our social media website.

Our goal is to showcase and promote The University of New Hampshire through our collection of online digital communities. Brand UNH as a Higher Education leader in research, innovation, technology, academics, athletics, and life on campus. We build community through sharing, engaging, and interacting with our stakeholders on social media that highlight our university. By cultivating and nurturing our digital communities, we’re able to promote key messages to prospective students, current students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni, and the entire UNH Wildcat community.

The social media team at UNH recognizes how important social media has become, so we’ve created Social Media Guidelines for official use at The University of New Hampshire.

3. Good Practice

Picture: UNHSocial engages in the video messaging app "Snapchat"

Target group(s):

  • Students: We have certain social media channels that are focused on students. They are also 100% run by student interns at UNH. We use Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Facebook Groups.
  • Prospective students: We have admissions-based social media channels on Instagram and Twitter that not only share information about the university, but also answer any incoming questions form perspective students and their parents.
  • Faculty: The main university social media accounts share information about all aspects of the university and our faculty can find out what’s going on by following us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Snapchat. We use hashtags: #UNH (main), #IBelieveInUNH (pride), and #instaUNH for photos.
  • Alumni: We have certain social media channels that are focused on our alumni, who are all over the globe. It’s run by our UNH alumni social media team and they use Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.

Responsible people and their main activities/ tasks: The responsible people are the UNH Social media team, which is made up of staff and student interns. See more above.

For more information and examples, visit the UNH social media blog: //medium.com/@unhsocial>

4. Effectiveness

and success factors

KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and other metrics we use to evaluate effectiveness:

  • Followers/ Acquisition (are people continuing to add us and are we creating a relationship?)
  • Re-tweets on Twitter
  • Engagement rate (likes, comments, shares on a particular post)
  • Click through rate on a URL in a post
  • How far the social media posts reach (number of impressions)
  • Where the web traffic is coming from and how long they stay on our websites
  • Bounce rate (time spent on webpage)
  • Sentiment (positive or negative)
  • Gender/ Location
  • Conversion – Did they subscribe or request for info or apply?
  • Advocacy – Are the social media posts shared by influencers of our brand?
  • Keyword frequency – How often are we mentioned or are people using our hashtags and other keywords we search for everyday?

5. Results and Impact

Description of a Twitter example that illustrates the achieved results:

  • A high school junior toured the campus and then tweeted about his visit. Since we search hashtags & keywords, we found his tweets and replied.
  • After we replied, he then followed us and all the students’ social media channels. He then replied back in a positive way, using the hashtag we had just used in our tweet.
  • Since we had noticed he began to follow other social media accounts at our university, including @UNHStudents on Instagram & Twitter, he was able to see posts about a candlelight vigil our student community held for the Boston Marathon tragedy.
  • It was soon after that he tweeted, “The way @UofNH honoured the Boston Marathon victims makes me proud to be going there #UNH #UNH17”

The relationship was now established, we engaged a prospective student and demonstrated that we care and want to get to know him more. Did this have anything to do with him choosing UNH? We cannot measure that specifically at that moment, but we know our actions and social media replies were positively received and that social media is a part of Will’s life. Will is now a part of our student community as a sophomore in the theatre and dance department.

6. Additional Material

6.1 Links to websites

http://unh.edu/social

http://unh.edu/unhtales

//medium.com/@UNHSocial">https://medium.com/@UNHSocial>

6.1 Links to videos

https://youtu.be/zDdoT8EEGRg

https://youtu.be/DWCJB6Ef7I8

https://youtu.be/vjyX1dSSCEQ

7. Questions

This is the professional self-learning section to reflect on the topic, improve your skills and sharpen your creativity. Please use it as a starting point for the development of your own ideas and thoughts. Please select at least one of the questions below and note your answer in max. 1000 characters. You can also use the additional online material or consult other online sources to refine your arguments. Please send your answers to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

1.      In your opinion, is the installation of a student-run social media team a must-have for all educational institutions? Pro or Contra, motivate your view with at least 4 arguments.

2.      Take a look at the Social Media Guidelines promoted by the UNH. What is positive/ well designed? What is missing? What would you like to add?

3.      Using social media is one opportunity to intensify contact with stakeholders, visitors, employees and to therefore create more personalized offers. Can you think of other (analogue) ways to achieve this in the same time? Please describe your ideas in an action plan.

4.      Taking the UNH as starting point, collect arguments against or in favor of the following statement: when it comes to social media – it’s the more the merrier! 

Please send your answer(s) to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

Please add the number of this module and the number of the question to your answer (e.g.: module 1, question 1.).

We will not give grades. You will not receive an individual marking and feedback on your answers. Individual feedback will only be given by the online assessment contact.

8. Online Assessment

For those that are interested in deepening their knowledge about the module, a personalized online assessment is offered. For all questions on the topic and further information about this module, please contact your expert for your online assessment. If you have a question closely related to your answer on the module question, please attach this answer to your assessment request.


World Youth Student and Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation

Wendy Morrill

Educational Associate

Email: education@wysetc.org

Skype: wysewendy

9. Contact Information

World Youth Student and Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation

Wendy Morrill

Educational Associate

Email: education@wysetc.org

Phone: +31 20 421 2800

https://www.wysetc.org

 

UNH Communications and Public Affairs

Social Media Dept.

15 Strafford Ave.

Durham, NH 03824 USA

Phone: + 1 603 862 1234

http://unh.edu

10. Responsible according to the Press Law

V. i. S. d. P.:

Wendy Morrill

World Youth Student and Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation

Keizersgracht 174-176

1016 DW Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Phone: +31 20 421 28 00

THE LAGAN NAVIGATION

TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

1. Introduction

The history of the Lagan Navigation links in Northern Ireland go back over 250 years and were one of the main transport modes for many decades. The plans to reopen the Lagan canal and river are well underway and extensive research has been carried out to determine the best way forward.

Picture: Navigation House, Union Locks, Lisburn
Picture: Navigation House, Union Locks, Lisburn

The Lagan Navigation has direct connection with the industrial and heritage history of the area, in particular the Linen industry as it was used to transport the linen and flax. The area around the canal and river are also of great interest in relation to nature and the natural environment. It was with this in mind that one element of the research looked at the teaching and learning opportunities in the area.

There are 141 schools in the operational area which equates to circa 35,000 pupils. The plans have taken full advantage of the numerous opportunities to engage with these educational facilities to ensure that a wide range of programmes of teaching and learning opportunities are developed. The management of Union Locks are working closely with the Curriculum Advisory and Support Services to ensure that all their proposed educational programmes fit with the curriculum and will enhance the students learning.

Picture: Lock Gates Union Locks Lisburn
Picture: Lock Gates Union Locks Lisburn




2. Background

The Lagan Navigation was one of the most successful commercial navigations in Ireland and boasts the only flight of four locks (Union Locks, Lisburn) in the Irish waterway network. The remains of the Lagan Navigations canalised sections is one of the region’s best assets as it passes through the cities of Belfast and Lisburn, traverses through rolling countryside and picturesque villages entering Lough Neagh, the largest freshwater lake in the British Isles.

From Belfast to Lough Neagh the Lagan Navigation travels East to West, 27 miles with 27 locks, 20 road bridges, 12 footbridges and 1 Railway Bridge. It passes through three Local Government areas – Belfast City Council, Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, and Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council and three Counties – Antrim, Down and Armagh. There are some 6,000 acres of public parks and open spaces, including The Lagan Valley Regional Park within the Trusts Operational Area shown below.

The Historic Monuments and Archaeological Objects (NI) Order 1995 (HMAO 1995) gives the Department of the Environment a duty to compile and maintain a schedule of historic monuments. Historic monuments are scheduled for their protection from alteration or destruction through the aforementioned order. The Lagan Navigation has been valued as a feature of industrial heritage worthy of statutory protection and as such is scheduled as per Article 3 of the HMAO 1995. The scheduled area includes the following features:

  • The canalised sections of the River Lagan
  • The towpath
  • All locks and gates
  • The abutments of bridges crossing the Navigation, but excludes the bridges themselves
  • Wharves, basins and passing points

The canalised sections of the River Lagan and the Navigation itself are afforded protection as an archaeological monument of Regional Importance.

The plans include maximising the biodiversity enhancement within the corridor in accordance with national and local biodiversity strategies, habitat and action plans and species action plans. It is anticipated that this will be done by recruiting a post graduate student to work on ecological audits, habitat enhancement projects, landscape restoration and towpath facilities design guide.

Plans also include forging linkages with the industrial heritage along the waterway and the educational programmes will include collaborating with the Irish Linen Centre and Museum, the Lock Keeper’s Cottage and Barge and the Titanic Experience. An education barge afloat on the canal is also part of the plans and it will provide a portable learning facility for a wide range of participants.

One of the objectives of the Lagan Canal Trust is to “provide a living and working heritage with sustainability in mind to ensure that this outstanding national asset is well kept for future generations to enjoy”. This heritage can only be sustained if the local population are involved and interested in it. The continuous learning opportunities that will be provided will ensure that interest in the waterway is maintained and therefore protected for future generations.

3. Good Practice

The Union Locks is sited on a stretch of the Lagan Navigation system and so is linked to many stakeholders the full length of the 27 mile long system. What happens on one area of the system has an impact on the other areas, it is therefore imperative that all planning is done in connection with all stakeholders.

In order to centralise all efforts to plan for the future of this waterway The Lagan Canal Trust was formed in 2009. It is funded by the three local councils along the 27 mile route; Belfast, Lisburn and Craigavon, the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure and NI Environment Agency. The Trust and its partners are the custodians of the 300 year old waterway and the main stakeholders. Other stakeholders include:

  • Discover Waterways Lisburn
  • Lagan Gateway Project
  • Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure
  • Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council
  • Educational Facilities
  • NI Environmental Agency
  • Local businesses
  • Other attractions in the area and along the waterway
  • Community groups

The research for the development of the waterway was undertaken in collaboration with all stakeholders. This has resulted in a robust plan going forward that will involve a series of learning opportunities for a wide range of the population.

The Waterways College have some programmes already on offer, these include formal and social learning opportunities for the following targeted participants:

  • 16 – 24 year olds
  • 25+ apprenticeships
  • Long term unemployed
  • 50+
  • Re-skilling and up-skilling
  • Volunteers
  • Pre 16 schools, colleges, universities, youth organisations, clubs
  • Community groups and families
  • Sporting clubs and organisations

These programmes will be further developed and enhanced to suit future requirements.

The Lagan Canal Trust and its 67 Square Mile Operational Area

The primary objective of the Lagan Canal Trust is to reopen the Lagan Navigation from Belfast Harbour to Lough Neagh. The main programme of proposed works is circa £100M to be delivered over 15/20 years. The Trust and its partners are the focus of guardianship of a 300-year-old living and working heritage and we do all of this with sustainability in mind to ensure that our outstanding national asset is well kept for future generations to enjoy.

The rationale in developing an operational area, shown on the plan below, is the opportunity it presents for bringing together public and private sector interests and those of the communities (some 300,000 people) along the 67 square miles into a focussed, dedicated zone where social well-being is supported by a vibrant economy sustained by a healthy environment. There are 141 schools with the Operational Area with 35K+ pupil population and seven railway stations, which provide ready access to green spaces, rural and urban pursuits. This combines the potential for community planning, economic, physical and environmental regeneration and conservation.

The Operational Area highlights the role the re-opening of the Lagan Navigation will have in linking, through Lough Neagh, the inland waterway system on the island of Ireland North and South to maximise the tourism and economic potential of over 600 miles of waterways – connecting the Eastern seaboard in Belfast to the Western seaboard in Limerick. The plan below shoes the route of the Navigation and Operational Area.

Picture: Plan showing the Trust Operational Area in green with the line of the Navigation in red
Picture: Plan showing the Trust Operational Area in green with the line of the Navigation in red

The Trust Objectives

  • Ensure that all our work is informed by and fits with the Programme for Government and the NI Strategic Investment Plan 2011 – 2021, the re-opening is highlighted in this document, and addresses the objectives of our Departmental, current and potential partners and stakeholders
  • Contribute to addressing poverty, social exclusion and climate change
  • Develop an important historic and cultural asset which is recognised locally, regionally and nationally as having the potential to make a significant contribution to Northern Irelands economy
  • Ensure that the Trust is resourced to deliver a complex programme of work

This will be achieved through:

  • Conserving, managing and interpreting the natural, built, cultural and industrial heritage of the Navigation
  • Develop a multimedia digital history platform of the Lagan Navigation – ‘Just Add Water’
  • Restoring the historic structures of existing locks whilst enabling their use through providing new lock gates and safety structures (under consent)
  • Reinstate towpaths and create of new paths along the whole length of the Navigation between Belfast and Lough Neagh
  • Connect and extend the National Cycle Route Number 9 through the Operational Area giving wider connectivity throughout Northern Ireland
  • Facilitating linkages between the Navigation, communities and public transport; and between existing facilities and additional ones e.g. links to villages in rural areas
  • Re-watering the canalised sections along the Lagan through reinstating or repairing the weirs associated with each lock and lateral canal built in the 18th century to enable navigation
  • Providing a new cascade weir and new lock at Stranmillis to replace the existing pen weir structure and enable navigation from the tidal Lagan to the Navigation
  • Providing a new section of river and canalised navigation between Sprucefield and Moira to replace the section of the Navigation overlaid by the M1 Motorway. This will include a canalised linkage to the Maze Long Kesh Site
  • A programme of silt removal and dredging to reinstate a channel for boat passage;
  • Contribute to community health and well-being opportunities through greater access to leisure, sporting and recreational pursuits
  • Provide a range of additional facilities for visitors, walkers and cyclists and mooring points along the Navigation to enable boat usage and other water bases activities, features and attractions
  • Clearly defining the potential for positive social impact in local communities through Community Planning partnerships
  • Fully examining the potential of the re-opening in terms of the potential of climate change adaptation in the Lagan Valley working with a European initiative which seeks to design natural water retention measurers in flood plains
  • Conduct a 2 year, 2014 – 2016, proof of concept pilot for The Waterways College (TWC) to drive formal, volunteering, educational and community outreach programmes which address the heritage and environmental skills deficit in Northern Ireland


The Waterways College

The Waterways College (TWC), in its two year pilot project phase which began in October 2014, will deliver waterways based traditional and new heritage and environmental learning opportunities. Unemployed people of all ages, volunteers, and educational and community outreach participants will have the opportunity to work on the Trusts projects along the Navigation. The stakeholder engagement programme will inform development of TWC.

The two-year pilot with Social Enterprise partner, Springvale Employment and Learning, will deliver some 150 formal learning and some 200 volunteering opportunities in the Lisburn/ Belfast City Council Area. The programme and projects will be delivered in two distinct strands:


Strand 1 formal learning targeted participants of TWC are:

  • 16 – 24 year olds
  • 25+ apprenticeships
  • Long term unemployed
  • 50+
  • Re-skilling and up–skilling

Strand 2 social learning targeted participants are:

  • Volunteers
  • Pre 16 schools, colleges, universities, youth organisations, clubs
  • Community groups and families
  • Sporting clubs and organisations
Picture: Map of the Union Locks
Picture: Map of the Union Locks

4. Effectiveness

and Success Factors

  • Open communication with all stakeholders
  • Developed relationship with the Curriculum Advisory & Support Services
  • Connection with local educational facilities
  • The forming of the Waterways College
  • The forming of the Lagan Canal Trust
  • Relationships with local related heritage sites
  • Relationship with NI Environment Agency

Just Add Water Project

  • Development of a digital history platform bringing together the story of the Lagan Navigation through its 300+ year history through
  • Developing a digital resource which promotes intellectual access to data
  •  Mata tagging data for use by the teaching profession
  •  Developing themes which will generate interest and are relevant to perceived audience
  • Audience development across the 67 square mile Operational Area of the Trust
  • Defining the roles which will support the reconnection of people with the Navigation
  • outreach workers
  • volunteers – research – web site management
  • local ambassadors to incorporate historical and cultural trails into the re-opening capital works>
  • Articulating the legacy of skills in the community with a view to examining the coaching and mentoring potential of volunteers
  • Animation of the project through events and pop up museums

The Trust is working closely with Lisburn & Castlereagh City and Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council. The project will capture and handle information on multimedia format with the objective of developing a social and educational resource aligned with community participation the National Curriculum.

5. Results and Impact

Good practice has resulted in the successful collaboration of a number of organisations to provide an interesting relevant education programme about and around the Lagan Canal/ Waterways. Whilst the programme is in the early stages first indications show a high rate of interest in the programmes. These will be continuously developed as time goes on and will be adapted to suit new markets, curriculums and demand.

Using best practice from other similar projects has provided good guidelines and direction for the good practice being used with this project.

The anticipated impacts and results of the good practice implemented will be that of job opportunities, interest in the heritage and biodiversity of the area that will lead to its sustainability for future generations.

The Trust has been successful in gaining research and project grant funding of c£400K in the last three years, levered through matched funding by partners. A number of smaller projects, which contribute to the main re opening project, have been delivered serving to underline the value of a partnership approach and the Trusts ability to meet its objectives. It will continue to seek European, National and local public and private sector funding for its project work. In its Business Case to Government, it seeks support from the Northern Ireland Assembly through the Comprehensive Spending Review process.

Our targeted funding focus in 2015/ 16 is:

  • Submission of an EU funding bid to the LIFE programme to conduct a demonstration project to address climate change adaptation in the Lagan Valley project value c£1.8M
  • A diverse matrix of funding bids for the Discover Waterways Lisburn - project preliminary value c£6M
  • Potential for Transactional Capital Funding for delivery of this major infrastructure project
  • Heritage Lottery Fund. The ‘Just Add Water’ digital history project – project value Development Phase £75K
  • Funding for the acquisition of the Lock Keepers Cottage at Union Locks
  • The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Rural Development Fund in three areas
    • A co-operation project with Scottish Canals and Waterways Ireland partners
    • Rural Tourism
    • Rural Business Development
  • Interregional Funding for development of a Lagan Valley Blueway cycling route with local and cross border partners
  • To further support the delivery of The Waterways College over the two year pilot
    • European Social Fund
    • Welcome Foundation
    • Sponsorship opportunities
    • Partners matched funding

6. Additional Material

6.1 Links to websites

http://www.lagancanaltrust.org/

http://www.visitlisburncastlereagh.com/

http://www.laganvalley.co.uk/places-to-visit/lagan-canal.html

7. Questions

This is the professional self-learning section to reflect on the topic, improve your skills and sharpen your creativity. Please use it as a starting point for the development of your own ideas and thoughts. Please select at least one of the questions below and note your answer in max. 1000 characters. You can also use the additional online material or consult other online sources to refine your arguments. Please send your answers to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

1.      The reopening and touristic use of the Lagan Navigation system is a huge infrastructure project. What are the weaknesses in the plan? What actions do you propose to solve the weaknesses?

2.      In October 2016 the pilot phase of the Waterways College expires. Set up new modules and think of aspects that can be added to the curriculum for the next phase of the Waterways College after this date. 

3.      Invent an educational trip to the re-opened Lagan Navigation involving duration, target group and explanation of the educational benefit.

Please send your answer(s) to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

Please add the number of this module and the number of the question to your answer (e.g.: module 1, question 1.).

We will not give grades. You will not receive an individual marking and feedback on your answers. Individual feedback will only be given by the online assessment contact.

8. Online Assessment

For those that are interested in deepening their knowledge about the module, a personalized online assessment is offered. For all questions on the topic and further information about this module, please contact your expert for your online assessment. If you have a question closely related to your answer on the module question, please attach this answer to your assessment request.


Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council

Andrew Kennedy

Tourism Development Manager

Email: andrew.kennedy@lisburn.gov.uk

Phone: +44 28 9250 9483

http://www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk

9. Contact Information

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council

Andrew Kennedy

Tourism Development Manager

Email: andrew.kennedy@lisburn.gov.uk

Phone: +44 28 9250 9483

http://www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk

 

Lagan Canal Trust

Brenda Turnbull

Chief Officer

Navigation House

148 Hillsborough Road

Lisburn

Co. Antrim

BT27 5QY

Northern Ireland

10. Responsible according to the Press Law

V. i. S. d. P.:

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council

Lagan Valley Island

Lisburn

Co. Antrim

BT27 4RL

Northern Ireland

Phone: +44 28 9250 9250

INTEGRATIVE DESIGN OF THE USER EXPERIENCE FOR VISITORS

THE CLOTHIER MUSEUM BRAMSCHE PROVIDES AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH

1. Introduction

The Tuchmacher Museum Bramsche (“Clothier Museum Bramsche”) is a specialized museum for craft and industry and also a regional museum of national importance. It is the only museum in Germany where two full production courses of cloth production from two different time periods are displayed. This is done at an authentic place in a technical and historical monument. Moreover, the museum is an important cultural centre for citizens in Bramsche and in the region and an important tourist attraction.

The buildings and collections of the Clothier Museum are an important part of cultural heritage. The cultural and educational mission of the museum is to preserve its heritage for future generations, to expand its collection with a clearly defined focus, to explore the history of textile production under different aspects and to convey it professionally. The base of the work of the museum is the “Standard for museums” which has been formulated by the German Museums Association (DMB) in the light of the “Code of Ethics” by the International Council of Museums.

The priorities in the field of collecting, preserving, and documenting, as well as the dimensions regarding the integrated approach arise from the dual character of a technical and regional museum.

Picture: Exterior view of the museum buildings, Image Credit: Photographer Oliver Pracht
Picture: Exterior view of the museum buildings, Image Credit: Photographer Oliver Pracht

2. Background

The Bramsche Tuchmacher Museum (Clothier Museum Bramsche) offers an integrated approach for the visitor experience combining the museum and its topics with the urban environment, guided tours, museum education, exhibitions, special events, and cultural research within the three key topics of the museum: textile technic, history of architecture, energy development.

The integrative approach takes the following aspects into account:

  • Focus on textile culture: full lines of cloth production from two different time periods
  • Inclusion of the environment: offers for visitors, which enables them to comprehend the former work and life at the Mühlenort (mill site), at an authentic site in an historical monument
  • Guided tours in different European languages
  • Special exhibitions are an inherent part of the integrated approach as well as the overall concept of the museum

Research: research focused on the regional economic, social and cultural history related to the cloth-making, history of textile and energy.

3. Good Practice

Especially the integrated approach of the Clothier Museum Bramsche leads to the multidimensional offers within the field of textile culture for the visitors.

Two crucial time phases in the development of the cloth manufacture are documented in the field of textile technology: the still mainly manual method of working on the eve of the industrial revolution (1810 – 1870) and the fully mechanical machine work at the end of industrialization (in 1890). For these two timelines manufacturing gears for making cloth are presented in parallel, showing how the clothiers in Bramsche used to work.

This time parallel representation of these two different lines of production makes it easy for the visitor to compare the traditional manual craftsmanship and the industrial production. By limiting the demonstration to these two periods it is possible to show the visitors not just the technical process, but also demonstrate the functioning of cloth production.

Picture: Interior view of the hall of the spinning mill, Image Credit: Photographer Oliver Pracht
Picture: Interior view of the hall of the spinning mill, Image Credit: Photographer Oliver Pracht

The Clothier Museum Bramsche is not only an authentic venue of producing, but it also presents the degree of mechanization, the division of labour and organization of labour in the Bramsche’s guild is presented in an authentic way.

The Clothier Museum makes the technology and social history of the local cloth production comprehensible. Operational equipment, machines and tools are understandable by their use: They are placed in the museum, so that they can be understood not as inanimate objects, but rather as functioning and thus, speaking 'witnesses´ of their time. Industrial cultural heritage with their individual use and work traces are information carriers of their time, which must be handled with care. Therefore, the presentation of the operations in the cloth manufacturing are limited to the demonstration of the machines.

In addition to the two large time periods, which are exhibited, selected aspects of the historical development of textile technology are documented and their technical development is put into a larger historical and regional context.

The working environment and everyday life of a draper is an important part of the illustration. In the interaction of all aspects, the technology is understandable as a living environment. A special room in the Mühlenort is dedicated to the life and work of a draper. The sculptor Fumiari Ogawa has created seven life-sized figures that embody historical clothier personalities from Mühlenort as representatives of their time. Their biographies, which have been reconstructed from church records, tax lists, photos, letters and stories are available at audio stations.


Inclusion of the spatial environment

An important aspect of the integrated approach of the Clothier Museum Bramsche it to consider the spatial setup in the offerings for the visitors. The museum includes numerous outdoor points that give an insight into the former close connection of work and life at the “Mühlenort” (mill side).

  • Washhouse: the wash-house for the washing of raw wool, which was demolished in the 1980s, was rebuilt on the former ground.
  • Drying frame: a 40 meter long wooden drying frames for drying the cloth webs was rebuilt
  • Drying house: 1868, in the course of industrialization, a dry house originated in close proximity to the "Mühlenort" in order to dry the cloth webs with furnace heat.
  • Clothier houses at the Mühlenort: The Mühlenort as living and economic environment becomes tangible for the visitor through the observance of the street of houses itself. Panels on individual homes indicate the continuity in the handicraft families.
  • Dyer’s garden: Opposite the exhibition on dyeing and dyeing equipment, a small dye garden was created between washhouse and “Mühlenkolk”. Plants such as madder, woad and mignonette, which were important for the production of dyes, can be found here. In addition to that the fuller's teasel is planted.
  • Gauging House: The level house of the Office of Water and Environmental Affairs Weser-Ems is used for regular water level measurements. It hosts a brief presentation about the regulation of the river “Hase” in the 1970s and offers explanations about the intentions and consequences of the current modern water management.
  • Steam Engine: A lying single-cylinder steam engine (built in 1946) of the cloth factory Adolf Knölker was restored and erected on the Mühlenort. Knölker lived and worked here until the construction of the factory in 1928. The cloth towel factory was closed in 1967 and is now demolished.

Guided tours in various European languages

The museum offers guided tours of the permanent exhibition in English, French or Dutch (60 and 90 minutes). On Sundays and public holidays a public guided tour takes place. The demonstration of the machines by museum technicians is assured for each tour. Special tours on special topics and guided tours for people with disabilities (e.g.: blind guides, guides for people with intellectual disability) are offered. A specially trained employee advises tour requests on the phone and takes into account individual wishes of the groups.

The guides are working as freelancers for the museum and were trained in a special course. Organizational and substantive issues can be clarified in the monthly meeting with the museum management.

Special exhibitions and events

Special exhibitions are an important part of the integrated approach in the conception of the museum. They offer the opportunity to delve into subjects which cannot be enhanced in the permanent exhibition: like the history of cloth-making and the city's history, subjects from the field of textile and fashion or trends of current textile art, collections from other institutions, integrate co-operation partner, etc.


Four categories of special exhibitions have a permanent place in the museum:

  1. Summer Exhibition: In the holiday season cultural and historical exhibitions from the topics textile, fashion, technology and local history are shown. These exhibitions usually last three months.
  2. Exhibitions on textile art: presentations of artists or groups of artists. The duration of this exhibition is three to eight weeks.
  3. Exhibitions of the Visual Arts Association, Bramsche: a curated exhibition of the local association during spring and an exhibition for members during autumn. The duration is four weeks.
  4. Staircase exhibitions: Smaller projects, student exhibitions, exhibitions of the Tuchmacher Museum Working Group are shown in the galleries of the staircase. Its duration is approximately four weeks.
Picture: Exhibition
Picture: Exhibition "Interiors" of the Finnish Felt Association Fillti, Image Credit: Photographer Oliver Pracht

The Tuchmacher Museum developed a framework program to the exhibitions, ranging from academic lectures, concerts, readings, theatre performances to museum educational workshops. In addition, the museum organizes workshops and days of activity, including an active participation in the International Museum Day and the day of the open monument.

The museum supports partners from Bramsche and the region during events with its technology and facility or with presswork.

 

Research

The close cooperation with local and regional institutions and actors plays an important role for the remit of the research of the museum. The focus is on the study of regional economic, social and cultural history in relation to the cloth-making, textile, energy history in the Osnabrück region that is yet largely unexplored. The conditions for their research, however, are good. The traditions of the town of Bramsche and the drapers' guild are preserved at the Lower Saxony State Archive Osnabrück and in the Central State Archive in Hanover. There is a delivery contract between the city and the State Archives. The clothier guild deposits their old records in the State Archives and makes them accessible to the historical reappraisal. Due to the integrated approach, research projects are connected with exhibition projects as far as possible.

4. Effectiveness

and Success Factors

  • Integrated Approach
  • Open Approach
  • Inclusion of the environment
  • Dedicated staff
  • Efficient use of resources
  • Special focus on children and teenagers

5. Results and Impact

The integrated approach results in connections between the factors guided tours, events, exhibitions, research and workshops. The effectiveness of the approach is reflected in the practical offers of the museums educational department:

The museum offers varying guided tours for all school forms and grades and kindergartens. They can be integrated into school education in diverse and interdisciplinary ways and the offers correspond to the requirements of the Ministries of Culture. The contents are conveyed playfully and vividly. The individual offers are updated and expanded regularly.

For smaller groups and classes workshops are offered such as felting or dyeing, in which the children can try things out and work with their own hand.

For children's birthday parties, special programs and workshops are offered. On request, a birthday cake will be ordered and a table at the museum will be covered with colourful crockery.

For an annual competition for school classes, a special guided tour is designed, where students write clothier fairy tales or draper thrillers or draw comics. Winners are selected by an expert jury and awarded in a special ceremony at the museum.

The Clothier Museum maintains collaborations with schools in Bramsche. For example, since 2007, a museum education officer takes care of a “Clothier workgroup” from a local school once a week at the museum. They prepare exhibitions, guided tours and projects which are presented every second school term. Since 2010 there is a working group for gifted pupils of the Greselius Gymnasium (grammar school) in Bramsche, which also meets once a week at the museum and develops projects under the guidance of a museum education officer.

In the future, the integrated approach allows the Clothier Museum to respond adequately to societal questions, education, environment and media at any time with high technical and pedagogical standards.

6. Additional Material

6.1 Links to websites

http://www.tuchmachermuseum.de/

http://www.tuchmachermuseum.de/staticsite/staticsite.php?menuid=44&topmenu=44

http://www.bramsche.de/staticsite/staticsite.php?menuid=48

6.1 Links to videos

http://www.tuchmachermuseum.de/pics/medien/1_1150272805/maschinen_spinnen.mov

http://www.tuchmachermuseum.de/pics/medien/1_1150272915/maschinen_weben.mov

http://www.tuchmachermuseum.de/pics/medien/1_1150272512/maschinen_faerben.mov

7. Questions

This is the professional self-learning section to reflect on the topic, improve your skills and sharpen your creativity. Please use it as a starting point for the development of your own ideas and thoughts. Please select at least one of the questions below and note your answer in max. 1000 characters. You can also use the additional online material or consult other online sources to refine your arguments. Please send your answers to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

1.      If you were the director of the Tuchmachermuseum in Bramsche, what would your overall strategy for the next 10 years look like? Which changes would support the further development in the next 10 years? What are the most challenging tasks the Tuchmachermuseum has to face?

2.      Often museums can have a huge impact on local and regional cultural landscapes. Taking the Tuchmachermuseum as a reference, what strategies are necessary to achieve such a position? Is this, generally speaking an area, museums should continue to focus on or should they work more international?

3.      What are the advantages /disadvantages of learning at historical places?

Please send your answer(s) to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

Please add the number of this module and the number of the question to your answer (e.g.: module 1, question 1.).

We will not give grades. You will not receive an individual marking and feedback on your answers. Individual feedback will only be given by the online assessment contact.

8. Online Assessment

For those that are interested in deepening their knowledge about the module, a personalized online assessment is offered. For all questions on the topic and further information about this module, please contact your expert for your online assessment. If you have a question closely related to your answer on the module question, please attach this answer to your assessment request.


M2C Institut für angewandte Medienforschung

Martin Koplin

Director

Email: koplin@m2c-bremen.de

Skype: Mobile2culture


9. Contact Information

M2C Institut für angewandte Medienforschung

Martin Koplin

Director

Email: koplin@m2c-bremen.de

Phone: +49 421 5905 5402

http://www.m2c-bremen.de/

 

Tuchmacher Museum Bramsche

Mühlenort 6

49565 Bramsche

Germany

Phone: + 49 54 61/94 51-0

Email: tuchmachermuseum@bramsche.de

Opening hours: Tuesday - Sunday 10:00-17:00

10. Responsible according to the Press Law

V. i. S. d. P.:

Martin Koplin

M2C Institut für angewandte Medienforschung

Hochschule Bremen – Zentrum für Informatik und Medientechnologien

Flughafenallee 10

28199 Bremen

Germany

Phone: +49 421 5905 5402

SUCCESSFUL MUSEUM MANAGEMENT

SUCCESSFUL MUSEUM MANAGEMENT THROUGH INNOVATION AND COMMUNICATION

1. Introduction

Established in 1979, Lisburn Museum is housed in the town’s historic Market House, a mid-17th century sandstone building where weavers once brought their cloth to sell. Originally focusing on the rich history of the town and surrounding area – from its early history as a Planation town, to the arrival of the Huguenots, the 1798 United Irishman Rebellion and through to its experience of the World Wars, amongst others – the museum expanded in 1994 with the development of the Irish Linen Centre, adjoining the museum. Ireland is famous worldwide for its fine linen, but it was in north east Ulster, particularly around Lisburn, that the industry was fostered. The Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum aims to preserve the history of this industry, from its origins as a cottage industry through to its industrial heyday in the late nineteenth century, and Lisburn’s role in its encouragement.

Since opening in 1994, the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum has developed and grown into a successful tourist attraction and educational facility, this has been achieved by:

  1. Building an internationally-significant collection of artefacts, photographs, textiles and ephemera relating to the local area and the Irish linen industry.
  2. Developing a successful education programme.
  3. Nurturing capacity amongst staff. From the museum’s curator – who has over 37 years of experience – to gallery assistants, many of whom have masters degrees, the museum’s management encourage, and seek to further, staff skills in history, geography, museum display and interpretation.
  4. Encouraging research. The museum employs a full time researcher to work on all aspects of the town’s history, and that of the Irish linen industry more broadly. Alongside hosting conferences, the institution also facilitates local and international researchers who work on its collections, or consult its vast reference library.
  5. Complying with museum standards. The museum is fully accredited.
  6. Programming exhibitions, built on the museum’s vast collection, but also responsive to the interests and appetites of the museum’s users. Further, local interest exhibitions and displays sit alongside material of interest to an international audience. Visitors travel from far away as Japan and the United States to visit the museum’s award-winning ‘Flax to Fabric’ exhibition, or view nationally-significant material, for example the museum’s recent acquisition of Theodore Maas’ Battle of the Boyne (1754), in its temporary galleries.
  7. Financed by Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, the museum benefits from support from the local council who recognise the importance of preserving the town’s history, and its role in fostering the Irish linen industry.
  8. Collaborating with community groups, schools, colleges, third-level institutions, government departments, artists, writers and filmmakers, the museum works closely with others to share the history of the town and the Irish linen industry through the development of education programmes, external exhibitions, books, TV and radio programmes and plays.
  9. Maintaining and retaining the skills of weaving damask linen on 19th century Jacquard hand looms.
  10. Using the museum website and Facebook to reach out to users who may not visit the museum.

The museum is managed, and guided, by its mission statement which aims to:

‘…present, preserve and interpret through collection, research, exhibitions and educational programmes, the Irish Linen Industry and the history and heritage of Lisburn and district. The museum service promotes knowledge, understanding and enjoyment of its collections to its visitors and a wider audience through display, publications and other media‘.

Picture: Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum, Market Square, Lisburn
Picture: Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum, Market Square, Lisburn

2. Background

Lisburn Museum was established in 1979 under the control of Lisburn Borough Council. Aside from its collection relating to Lisburn and district, a sizeable portion of its growing collection focused on the Irish Linen Industry. As such, in 1994 the Irish Linen Centre was developed alongside the museum. This collaboration brought together Lisburn Borough Council, Lisburn Museum, Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) and the European Regional Development Fund, who provided 75% funding of the project. The project cost approximately £3.5 million.

3. Good Practice

Picture: Guided Tour of Castle Gardens
Picture: Guided Tour of Castle Gardens

As an accredited museum it is important that the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum strives to comply with the accreditation standards and adheres to the Museum Association’s Museum Code of Ethics.

As a Council facility, continual evaluation of service delivery is important to ensure high customer satisfaction levels are maintained.

Formal and informal evaluation methods are used to survey customers, such as:

  • Independent surveys
  • Visitor surveys
  • Education and event evaluation
  • Comments on social Media
  • Formal complaints
  • Comments in visitor books and comments on exhibitions

Whilst consultation with stakeholders is also important, the identification of non-visitors and the reasons why they don’t visit the museum are also important in shaping the Museum’s exhibition and events programme.

Whilst the main source of visitors continues to be people visiting family and friends, the museum’s marketing strategy also targets:


  • FIT’s – Flexible Independent Travellers ( in particular out of state visitors)
  • Tour Operators (both local and Incoming Tour Operators)
  • Schools, colleges, universities and non- schoolers
  • Pre-school groups
  • Local/ National institutions and organisations (Church groups, youth groups, Boys/Girls Brigade)
  • Creative Industries
  • Researchers with special interest in spinning, hand loom weaving, linen, textiles, and economic and social history
  • The museum offers tailored workshops and tours for groups

Picture: Weaving workshop
Picture: Weaving workshop

The development of an annual exhibition and event programme encourages repeat visits. The exhibition programme reflects important times and events that may be of local, national or international significance. Current exhibitions include the museum’s permanent “Flax to Fabric Exhibition”, “Lisburn 1912-1915”, “Market Square through Time” and “Answer the Call - recruitment posters from the Great War”.

4. Effectiveness

and Success Factors

  • Critically acclaimed exhibitions
  • A Linen Collection of international significance
  • Specialist Library Collection focusing on linen
  • A very successful education programme
  • Unique Damask Linen handloom weaving programme

5. Results and Impact

The museum’s collection policy has led to the creation of an artefact collection that has international significance.

High Customer satisfaction levels indicated in visitor surveys, one recent independent survey identified the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum as the third main reason offered by visitors to Lisburn for visiting Lisburn.

A high proportion of visitors to museum events are repeat visitors.

6. Additional Material

6.1 Links to websites

http://www.lisburnmuseum.com

http://www.nimc.co.uk

http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/Irish-Linen-Centre-and-Lisburn-Museum-Library-Lisburn-P2809

6.1 Links to videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOm8nHGfsog

7. Questions

This is the professional self-learning section to reflect on the topic, improve your skills and sharpen your creativity. Please use it as a starting point for the development of your own ideas and thoughts. Please select at least one of the questions below and note your answer in max. 1000 characters. You can also use the additional online material or consult other online sources to refine your arguments. Please send your answers to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

1.      The Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum has successfully undertaken several actions to improve as a tourist attraction.  What do you think about these steps? Which one did you like the most? Why? What would you have done different? 

2.      In the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum evaluation of visitor groups play an important role. What is your attitude towards visitor monitoring? What are the factors influencing the success of evaluations?

3.      You are called to Lisburn as a consultant for the future strategy of the institution. In which department of the museum you see the biggest potential? What would your advisory plan involve in general?

Please send your answer(s) to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

Please add the number of this module and the number of the question to your answer (e.g.: module 1, question 1.).

We will not give grades. You will not receive an individual marking and feedback on your answers. Individual feedback will only be given by the online assessment contact.

8. Online Assessment

For those that are interested in deepening their knowledge about the module, a personalized online assessment is offered. For all questions on the topic and further information about this module, please contact your expert for your online assessment. If you have a question closely related to your answer on the module question, please attach this answer to your assessment request.


Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council

Andrew Kennedy

Tourism Development Manager

Email: andrew.kennedy@lisburn.gov.uk

Phone: +44 28 9250 9483

http://www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk

9. Contact Information

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council

Andrew Kennedy

Tourism Development Manager

Email: andrew.kennedy@lisburn.gov.uk

Phone: +44 28 9250 9483

http://www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk

 

Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum

Market Square

Lisburn

County Antrim

BT28 1AG

Northern Ireland

Phone: +44 28 9266 3377

10. Responsible according to the Press Law

V. i. S. d. P.:

Andrew Kennedy

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council

Lagan Valley Island

Lisburn

County Antrim

BT27 4RL

Northern Ireland

Phone: +44 28 9250 9250

VILLA FOSCARINI ROSSI FOOTWEAR CLUSTER

INCREASING VISIBILITY OF LOCAL INDUSTRY

1. Introduction

The shoes manufacturing industry in the Veneto Region is very important and well settled in the territory thanks to a long tradition of shoe production and the involvement of around 1,000 enterprises with 20,000 employees gathered into the Shoe cluster of Riviera del Brenta and its Association (Associazione Calzaturieri della Riviera del Brenta).

Picture: Frescoes In The Villa Foscarini Rossi, Image Credit: Sandra Cohen-Rose And Colin Rose, Flickr, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Picture: Frescoes In The Villa Foscarini Rossi, Image Credit: Sandra Cohen-Rose And Colin Rose, Flickr; licensed under CC BY 2.0

2. Background

In recent years it has become more and more important for the cluster to create synergies and connections with the surrounding areas and the historical beauties represented by the important Villas located in the Riviera del Brenta and to take advantage of the close proximity of Venice.

Picture: Wall Mural In The Villa Foscarini Rossi, Image Credit: Sandra Cohen-Rose And Colin Rose, Flickr, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Picture: Wall Mural In The Villa Foscarini Rossi, Image Credit: Sandra Cohen-Rose And Colin Rose, Flickr; licensed under CC BY 2.0

3. Good Practice

For this reason, the Riviera del Brenta shoe cluster proposed several twinning approaches between industry and culture:

  • Every year, it finances several competitions among them ’Scarpetia d’oro’, a story telling competition, which focus on the subject of shoes.
  • It promoted the realisation of a theatre representation called ‘Riflessi Veneziani’ presented in show rooms in Italy and abroad (for example in Canada) with the aim of presenting the local culture, traditions and values. In Canada, for example, the show anticipated the opening of a dedicated show room with concrete benefits in terms of visibility and increase of demand.
  • It cooperates with the Rossi family, owner of Villa Foscarini Rossi and shoe cluster entrepreneur.

The Villa is a prestigious complex consisting of three buildings: the main villa, Guesthouse and Stable. The set hosts the ’Museo della Scarpa’ (Shoe History Museum), a very positive example of the connection between industry and cultural heritage related to the possibility of simultaneously valorising the product and the traditional architecture present in the territory, making these synergies a value added.

The cluster organised local theatre pieces in international show rooms and arranged a heritage building for the shoe industry museum.

4. Effectiveness

and Success Factors

The Riviera del Brenta Shoe Cluster’s experience is a very positive example of how investing in culture can bring added value to local production and give wider visibility abroad to final clients who look for experience and historical details in a single pair of shoes.

5. Results and Impact

The presented case study is a specific example of the influence that a large cultural centre can have on surrounding areas not only in terms of tourist flow but also in terms of attractiveness and promotion of local products. The private sector is the promoter of the proposed initiatives and the main actor. The public sector has been involved in several of the proposed initiatives; in particular, the Veneto Region has supported the proposed actions through local public funds and by financing specific project initiatives. As a result, the project increased visibility of the products in the international market generated both a satisfying magnitude of growth in value added and more attraction of tourists in the territory.

6. Additional Material

6.1 Links to websites

http://www.villafoscarini.it

http://www.villafoscarini.it/en/museum_h.php

http://www.museodellacalzatura.it

https://www.pinterest.com/villafoscarini

7. Questions

This is the professional self-learning section to reflect on the topic, improve your skills and sharpen your creativity. Please use it as a starting point for the development of your own ideas and thoughts. Please select at least one of the questions below and note your answer in max. 1000 characters. You can also use the additional online material or consult other online sources to refine your arguments. Please send your answers to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

1.      Is the growing importance of company museums and company owned cultural institution a thread to institutions working with “traditional” funding strategies? Discuss the topic from a touristic point of view.

2.      Can the Riviera del Brenta Shoe Cluster serve as a role model for the connection and creation of synergies between industry and culture? If yes, which aspects of it? If not, what would you change to make it one?

3.      Think of further actions: What would the next steps in the Riviera del Brenta Shoe Cluster look like to improve not only the touristic effect but also to strengthen the educational possibilities?

Please send your answer(s) to the following contact: info@eumillennials-tour.eu

Please add the number of this module and the number of the question to your answer (e.g.: module 1, question 1.).

We will not give grades. You will not receive an individual marking and feedback on your answers. Individual feedback will only be given by the online assessment contact.

8. Online Assessment

For those that are interested in deepening their knowledge about the module, a personalized online assessment is offered. For all questions on the topic and further information about this module, please contact your expert for your online assessment. If you have a question closely related to your answer on the module question, please attach this answer to your assessment request.


X23 Srl

Marika Mazzi Boém

Email: marika.mazzi.boem@x-23.org

Skype: marika.sviluppo

9. Contact Information

X23 Srl

Marika Mazzi Boém

Email: marika.mazzi.boem@x-23.org

Phone: +39 06 94 35 62 65

http://www.x-23.org

 

Villa Foscarini Rossi

Via Doge Pisani 1/2

30039 Stra

Venezia

Italy

10. Responsible according to the Press Law

V. i. S. d. P.:

Marika Mazzi Boém

X23 Srl

Via Paraguay 5

00198 Rome

Italy

Phone: +39 06 94 35 62 65

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