Seeking to collect specialised knowledge regarding the communication of values, VAST project invited museum experts to a focus group in Lisbon on the 13th of July 2022.
Through a constructive discussion, museum experts provided VAST partners with their valuable expertise regarding the communication of values and the way audiences perceive the role of museums.
The focus group was the preliminary part of the VAST Plenary Meeting which followed the next two days, and the selected material was deployed in the brainstorming sessions and workshops that took place during the meeting.
Focus Group in Lisbon
VAST launches European survey for Cultural Institutions in 5 languages
The VΑST project has rolled out a pan-European online survey about the role of Museums and Cultural Institutions in the diffusion of values which is led by partner Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienze (IMSS) in Italy.
We welcome responses from all professionals who work in (and with) Cultural Institutions (i.e.: museums, art galleries, cultural spaces) with the goal to understand how these actors (i.e.: museum curators, museum educators, scholars, directors, artists, creative teams and other stakeholders) are involved in the communication of values and their role.
The Fairytales Festival of Kea is a well known event that attracts approximately 4.000 visitors each year and celebrates its 20th anniversary. The event is held in the Greek language, it is addressed at families with children as well as adults and hosts professional storytellers, artistic installations, workshops and other activities.
During the festival, and in the context of the project’s research VAST coordinator NCSR Demokritos will hold focus groups with the professional storytellers onsite so as to gather data and extract meaningful insights for the needs of the project.
Additionally, dedicated questionnaires will be distributed to the public from the same VAST task force on the spot to further investigate the public’s perception regarding values through space and time.
VAST Project holds plenary meeting and workshops in Lisbon, PT
Having reached the first half of it’s lifetime, VAST project partners met physically for the first time in Lisbon between 14-15 July 2022 at partner NOVA University premises to hold the project’s 16th plenary meeting.
During the first day, the meeting reviewed the project’s progress until month 18 regarding the evaluation of the implemented pilot activities and the project’s objectives. Partners also discussed an updated version of the VAST Digital Platform development, the progress of annotation process and the Ontology’s design. On the same day the partners reviewed issues regarding the present of values, the content collected from all the implemented activities of the three pilots, and how this content could be exploited.
Partner presentations during the plenary meeting at NOVA partner premises in Lisbon
During the plenary several workshops took place, including the digital platform’s user requirements, user flows, necessary tools & content, the design of the VAST Ontology, and the tools used for the design of questionnaires in the VAST platform. Moreover, partners discussed an updated view of the dissemination and communication activities plan and the project’s business plan. The plenary closed with a discussion on the topic “Values and Museums” and the overall coordination and management of the project.
VAST project partners working on identifying values
Not all of it was work though! Partners enjoyed NOVA’s hospitality in the beautiful city of Lisbon enjoying a night out at a city restaurant listening to famous Fado music.
VAST commissions performance “Antigone” by Sophocles at renowned Athens & Epidaurus Festival
VAST project is proud to present the commissioning of a performance in the frame of the world-renowned Athens and Epidaurus Festival.
The theatrical play named “Antigone” by Sophocles, the ancient Greek author, was commissioned by partner FESTIVAL for the VAST project needs and was part of its Summer 2022 programme of events. The play was a modern version of the Ancient Greek Drama, adapted to an era in which Media play a decisive role in shaping public opinion.
The performance of “Antigone” by Sophocles
The performance of “Antigone” by Sophocles
The performance advocates the relationship between the polis (city) (and its citizens) and power, a timeless question posed by this tragedy. Focusing on the pivotal role of the media in shaping public opinion, the play is set inside a government-sponsored television studio, where all political debates and decisions take place in real time. The Chorus of Elders is re-imagined as a council of politicians representing various aspects of hegemonic discourse, watching, always live, the brutal conflict between secular and moral law.
The play was held in Greek with subtitles in both With English and Greek on the opening night for persons with hearing impairment.
After the performance, two more activities were realised:
After the premiere of the play, on July 5th, a discussion between the audience and the director of the play, Alexander Raptotasios, and the actors took place on the set with Dionysis Kapsalis as the moderator discussion with the director of the play took place emphasizing on values and their transmission through time.
Additionally, VAST ran a survey, in Greek after the play for three days, in two formats (physically onsite with printed questionnaires and online) to gather data on the public’s opinions on values after they had seen the theatrical play. The questionnaire is available here in Greek: https://platform.vast-project.eu/mobile-antigone-july-2022/
