DANCING HISTOR(Y)IES GOES ON: NEW STEPS AND ACTIVITIES

Dancing Histor(y)ies, the European project aimed at linking communities and cultural heritage through dance, continues with new activities and the definition of the Model for the enhancement of cultural heritage sites through performing arts, community engagement, and support for territorial development.

Last Study Visits

Dance companies have ended the round of study visits in the heritage sites that will host the DH Festival in Summer 2024, visiting Tharros and Ostia Antica in Italy and Volos in Greece.

Study visits have been key to start connecting the dance companies with the local territories, heritage sites and communities. Explorative walks in the heritage sites, storytelling experiences, performances attendance, meeting with local stakeholders and technicians and, most of all, in person meetings with the local communities have allowed participants to get together and start dialoguing about the artistic processes that will be at the core of the next year of activities.

Dance companies, local communities and the management of the heritage sites have started sharing stories, perspectives, challenges and opportunities to co-create the next DH Festival performances, with the unique approach of merging local heritage, communities’ stories and artistic interpretation and interventions. We can’t wait to start co-creating!

Partners’ meeting in Volos

Partners have met in Volos (Greece) on the occasion of the last study visit on 26-27 November.

They have assessed the first 6 months of the project, drawn conclusions on the research and site visits phase and planned next activities to transit to the second phase of the project, the practical implementation of the Model in the different Countries through the organisation of the DH Festival in the selected sites.

In particular, they have shared an overview of the DH Festival and started brainstorming about its features, deciding which Dance Companies will perform in which Sites and reflecting about the implementation of the co-creation workshops with the local communities.

As per the next steps, during December and January the heritage sites will work with their local stakeholders, communities and selected dance companies to define the main features of the DH Festival and to plan the concrete steps for its implementation. The new year will kick off the artistic co-creation workshops and the local activities with the communities; again, we can’t wait to see how these will become concrete!

The Model is almost ready!

The aim of the project is to create an efficient model for valorisation of heritage sites through performing arts, community engagement and territorial development to be disseminated and exploited at the European level, in which the material cultural heritage of the sites and the immaterial heritage of local communities involved are fused together through the creativity of dance.

The Dancing Histor(y)ies Model is the product of the collective work of an expanded network of 13 partners from 11 countries in the European Union.

For its implementation partners followed a two-way research process adopting both a bottom-up and an up-down approach in order to collect data from various sources of information, both from the research results and the experience of each partner.

The DH model is the final step of the following processes:

• Local Needs Analysis: partners and stakeholders identified the various needs they face in the management and valorisation of archaeological sites through performing arts and community involvement activities.
• Best practice research and selection at EU level: the collection of good practices has served as possible solutions and examples to follow in future initiatives.

The results and findings of these processes led to the conclusion that an efficient model for valorisation of heritage sites through performing arts, community engagement and territorial development should consist of the following components:

• Discover (and respect) the Site
• Find the Facilitator able to bridge the communication amongst the different stakeholders involved in the project, namely the heritage site management, the local communities and the dance companies.
• Local Engagement
• Artistic Production
• Territorial Development
• Communication Channels

And the following transversal activities: Gender Equality, Accessibility, Environmental Sustainability, Social Inclusion, Continuity.

The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

All the information about the Final Conference of our CulTourData project. Where we have connected tourism, technology and cultural creative companies in unique projects. Where we will present the final works of the Observatory for European Capitals of Culture, a policy laboratory and where our companies will have the opportunity to present their projects together with those of 5 other countries.

For more information, visit the CulTourData website: https://reg.eventmobi.com/cultour-data-final-conference-en

The Extremadura Tourism Cluster celebrates the incorporation of the company “Montijo Tour” as a new partner. Cluster members benefit from the collaboration of the sector in our region to be able to take part in projects, information on technology and innovation and exclusive services.

Montijo Tour is a retail travel agency, both inbound and outbound, run by Elvira Prieto Molano. It has been open to the public for twenty-two years, based in Montijo, Badajoz. Its commercial activity focuses on selling and organising all kinds of trips and tourist services aimed at the end public. Since its foundation, they have been working as a travel agency, but since 2021, they started to offer incoming services in Extremadura.

They work with all types of public, always giving the best quality in their services. They are not characterised by being an agency that is sought after for price, but their strong points are focused on personalised attention and an exclusive and different packaging.

A dynamic company, always in a process of change and adaptation, in fact, they are currently transforming their brand image to transmit dynamism, digitalisation, freshness and power of attraction as a company in the tourism sector in Extremadura.

Likewise, they carry out commercial activities outside Spain in different territories such as Portugal, Latin America, Asia, Europe, depending on the requirements of their clients. These activities consist of contracts with international incoming agencies, netwroking with international companies, projects, advertising, website for Portuguese public, among others.

The Gala includes the presentation of awards and recognition to different companies and entities of the territory.

On Friday 17 November 2023, at 8 pm, the Hotel Doña Mafalda de Castilla in Plasencia will host the VI Edition of the Red Empresarial Gala.

At this ceremony, the Extremadura Tourism Cluster will award the Tourism Business Improvement Award to Vicente Pozas Mirón, a journalist specialising in tourism, blogger and nature photographer.

Vicente Pozas currently works at Onda Cero Radio Extremadura, where he is the director of the tourism programme Gente Viajera por Extremadura; he is also CEO of the company VP Comunicación Turística, editor-in-chief of the tourism magazine Destino Extremadura, author and head of the hiking blog Andando Extremadura, and scriptwriter of tourism audiovisuals.

As far as his experience is concerned, he has been working in radio for 36 years, 22 of them doing the programme Gente Viajera, and 16 editing the magazine Destino

Extremadura magazine. He has also been president of the La Vereína Hiking Club, and is currently vice-president of the GR100 Hiking and Mountain Club. He is also an expert in the design and layout of hiking routes, a low and medium mountain guide, and an organiser of hiking routes and treks.

His professional achievements also include the following: more than 200 hiking routes commented, signposted and photographed in the blog andandoextremadura.com; several collective photography exhibitions; author of the series ‘Cáceres pueblo a pueblo’ (Periódico Extremadura, 2004-2005); and numerous articles on tourism and hiking in the specialised press.

About the Business Network Project

This project aims to develop and grow the business fabric of the Province of Cáceres through the organisation of an event that brings together a large number of companies in the area. It is developed with the aim of increasing their sphere of contacts and finding business opportunities.

Dancing Histor(y)ies binding communities and heritage through dance is the European project aimed at linking communities and cultural heritage through dance. Co-financed under the “Creative Europe” program, the project focuses on promoting archaeological sites through performing arts and aims to identify an innovative, effective, and replicable model for the enhancement of cultural sites actively involving local communities in artistic production and conscious heritage enjoyment, also promoting the international circulation of European artists.

PARTNERS

Dancing Histor(y)ies, of which Associazione Enti Locali per le Attività Culturali e di Spettacolo is the project leader, involves 13 institutions of 11 different European Countries with long experience in heritage site management, performing arts and dance production, research and training, as well as in the design, running and evaluation of EU funded projects.

THE PROJECT

The project includes activities that will take place throughout 2023/2024 in preparation for the first edition of the Dancing Histor(y)ies Festival and will be replicated for the second edition in 2025.

WHERE WE ARE

Kick off

Dancing Histor(y)ies has been presented in Cyprus on April, 6 at the Cyprus University of Technology. It has been an opportunity to promote and support the project in its socio-economic dimension of local development.

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Presentation during NID

During NID Platform 2023, the event which brought together Italian dance companies and national and international stakeholders in Cagliari from 30 August to 2 September, the official presentation of Dancing Histor(y)ies was held. Partners illustrated the foundations and objectives of the project with a particular focus on Dancing Histor(y)ies Festival, which will be held in the 5 selected archaeological sites in summer 2024.

Study Visits

Study Visits have started in June, in which dance companies visit historical and cultural heritage sites and discover the spirit of the places. Companies started from Viminacium (SB), and then visited Merida (ES), Tharros and Ostia Antica (IT).

Research

The research aimed at defining the Dancing Histor(y)ies Model, carried out by the University of Cyprus with the support of partners, has just been completed. The Model will contain the guidelines for the management and enhancement of archaeological sites through artistic and participatory processes.

Once the model has been defined, each site will work individually on its adaptation to its territory, will decide on which thematic threads to work and communities to involve.

NEXT STEPS

The next steps of the project will be:

• The definition of the Model for the involvement of communities in the valorisation of archaeological sites
• The choice of companies for each archaeological site
• The launch of workshops within the sites, in which companies will work together with local communities
• The start of cooperation between the sites and local stakeholders, to identify strategies and actions to be implemented during 2024 for the involvement of communities in participatory activities, knowledge and fruition of the sites.

The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

The Extremadura Tourism Cluster participates as a partner in the European project CulTourData (ID: 101038124), framed within the COSME programme of the European Commission, for the competitiveness of companies and SMEs.

Ten projects from Spanish companies have been approved and awarded €7,000 to achieve sustainable growth in cultural tourism through collaboration with the cultural and creative industries and innovation based on data and digitisation.

Consortium

HOTEL SOHO BOUTIQUE CASA DON FERNANDO

One of the projects chosen was that of the Hotel Soho Boutique Casa Don Fernando, in collaboration with the creative company Amantes de Mentes and the data and digitalisation expert company Pictograma. The aim of this collaboration is to offer tourists a new experience when they book and when they arrive at the hotel, which sets it apart from the rest of the accommodation in its area of operation.

The main objective is to increase its competitive advantage, seeking product differentiation among the wide range of hotels in Cáceres. To this end, this project aims to create immersive cultural experiences for its clients as a complement to the tourist visits carried out by the official tourist guides. Hoping, with these actions, to increase the hotel’s annual guest figures.

Partner entities

The Extremadura Tourism Cluster participates as a partner in the European project CulTourData (ID: 101038124), framed within the COSME programme of the European Commission, for the competitiveness of tourism companies and SMEs.

Ten projects from Spanish companies have been approved and awarded €7,000 to achieve sustainable growth in cultural tourism through collaboration with the cultural and creative industries and innovation based on data and digitisation.

Consortium

 LAS CUATRO ESQUINAS TOURIST APARTMENTS

One of the projects chosen was that of the Tourist Apartments “Las Cuatro Esquinas”, in collaboration with the creative company Atakama and the data and digitalisation expert Optitur. The aim of this collaboration is to develop a project on cultural implementation and data collection.

The main idea of this project is the creation of a cultural environment related to small spaces for the development of micro-theatre, happenings, monologues, live music and all those activities that highlight the relationship between culture and tourism.

The main objective is to get momentum for this sector and to increase the variables for measuring data on tastes, profiles, impact of culture and technology, etc. Technology plays an important role in two ways: the generation of virtual spaces for the implementation of activities and data management to consolidate the offer and to be able to draw up a digital marketing plan with guarantees of reaching the greatest number of users/tourists.

Although they operate as a micro-company, their commitment to tourism and culture makes them think that the management of live entertainment will attract other small companies to collaborate and improve the impact of the proposal.

Partner entities

The Extremadura Tourism Cluster participates as a partner in the European project CulTourData (ID: 101038124), framed within the COSME programme of the European Commission, for the competitiveness of tourism companies and SMEs.

Ten projects from Spanish companies have been approved and awarded €7,000 to achieve sustainable growth in cultural tourism through collaboration with the cultural and creative industries and innovation based on data and digitisation.

Consortium

HOTEL EXTREMADURA

One of the projects chosen was that of the Hotel Extremadura, in collaboration with the creative company Kreativa and the data and digitalisation expert company Pictograma. The aim of this collaboration is to improve the customer experience, in a convenient and simple way, collected on the mobile device and thus be able to have access at any time, and in any language.

In addition, one of the main objectives is to implement the collection of data on the most used services of the hotel and to know the most visited places, both in the area and in the surroundings.

Extremadura Hotel by Sercotel is a four-star hotel accommodation offering tailor-made stays for the guest. Extremadura Hotel operates in a regional, national and international market. It has a wide range of services adapted to each user. It also offers rooms and spaces to hold social events, such as weddings or communions, or to organise work meetings or corporate events. It also has a catering service.

Partner entities