Heritage & emotion networks

The ErEmEd project (Emotion networks on heritage in educational settings) is researching new methods whereby young people, teachers and heritage workers together make their diverse emotions about heritage items transparent and more meaningful.

Emotional networks is a new understanding and method for exploring emotions around heritage, emotions that may be very diverse and sometimes even contradictory. Mapping out these emotional responses helps to create transparancy around heritage and improves the relationship between between people and heritage.

An example that often provokes an emotional response is the Dutch tradition of Sinterklaas and "black Pete", but also the subject of street language may receive a myriad of reactions. Our goal is to improve people's understanding and tp contributes to the debate on cultural dynamics and the roles of professionals as agents of change. We will organise education seminars and group sessions with students, teachers and heritage workers around the topics of religion and religious heritage.

With a newly found "heritage wisdom" professionals and students gain en extensive knowledge on how to interact with heritage in an ever changing and dynamic society.

Waag will play a role in visualising these emotion networks and contribute the development of methods and scenario's that will form the basis of a platform that can connect heritage catalogues to nuanced data. To do this, we will organise several vents in collaboration with the Royal Academy of the Arts.