META-MUSEUM Project

16/10/2026

How can cultural heritage become meaningful to everyone, including those who rarely or never visit museums?

In our latest blog post, we explore how KMOP is contributing to the META-MUSEUM project by combining social sciences with cultural research to examine the transformative power of heritage.

📖 Read the full article to discover how we are working to make cultural participation more inclusive and accessible on our website.



META-MUSEUM Project receives funding from the European Union Research and Innovation Programme. Any related posts reflect only the views of the project owner.

12/10/2026

🧠 Museu d'Arqueologia de Catalunya is currently serving as a pilot site for the META-MUSEUM Project, a European research initiative exploring how people connect with cultural heritage and how these interactions shape meaningful experiences and emotional responses.

We are seeking volunteers aged 18 and over to take part in our second round of experiments at MAC Barcelona, running from October 25 to 30. No background in history, archaeology, or art is necessary, every individual perspective is valuable.

Participants will explore IMPERIVM: Roman Stories, our permanent exhibition featuring over 200 objects from the Roman and Late Antique periods. The session involves a self-guided visit, a brief survey, and non-invasive brain and sensory monitoring to record cognitive engagement.

👉 Sign up to participate on MAC's website in the activities section.



META-MUSEUM Project receives funding from the European Union Research and Innovation Programme. Any related posts reflect only the views of the project owner.

10/10/2026

🏛️ The work doesn't stop at the awards ceremony.

At the European Museum Academy Conference and Award Ceremony in Alicante, the EMA team brought META-MUSEUM's The Transformative Nature of Cultural Heritage (TMt) training module into a face-to-face setting.

The session created space to test ideas, exchange perspectives and critically reflect on how museums approach learning, emotions and impact.

From engaging discussions to challenging questions, the experience offered valuable insights into how educational approaches can be explored and further developed through dialogue with museum professionals.

Because developing new approaches to museum practice means learning, questioning and refining TOGETHER.

MuseumFuture HorizonEurope EUCommission HorizonEU

META-MUSEUM Project receives funding from the European Union HorizonEU Research and Innovation Programme. Any related posts reflect only the views of the project owner.

10/10/2026

📣 INT-ACT Final Conference | Thessaloniki, Greece

Our partners at INT-ACT are inviting the heritage community to their Final Conference, bringing together researchers, heritage professionals, communities, local authorities and policymakers to reflect on the role of immersive technologies in preserving and communicating living heritage.

📍 Thessaloniki, Greece
📅 11–12 November 2026
🌐 Hybrid participation
📚 Study visit to Kavala: 13 November

The programme will explore how digital and immersive technologies can engage with the stories, rituals, memories and emotions connected to heritage sites, with sessions focusing on Heritage for Society, Heritage and Technology, and Looking Ahead.

🎤 Call for speakers: INT-ACT is also welcoming contributions to the three thematic sessions. Presentations will be approximately 20 minutes and can be delivered in person or online.

🗓️ Speaker proposals: 14 October 2026
🗓️ In-person registration: 24 October 2026
🗓️ Online registration: 30 October 2026

Participation is free of charge, with limited places for in-person attendance.

For registration, scan the QR code.



META-MUSEUM Project receives funding from the European Union Research and Innovation Programme. Any related posts reflect only the views of the project owner.

08/10/2026

What happens when museum professionals start questioning how museums create impact? 👀

At the EMA Conference and Award Ceremony in Alicante, Spain, the META-MUSEUM team explored The Transformative Nature of Cultural Heritage (TMt) with colleagues from across the European museum community.

The session sparked personal reflections, transdisciplinary discussions and, importantly, critical questions.

💭 What makes a museum experience stay with us?
🔍 How can we understand its transformative potential?
⚖️ And how do we avoid becoming “over-emotional” when telling stories?

Participants reflected on their first remembered museum experiences, questioned aspects of the TMt methodology, and discussed the ethical and political dimensions of refining museum impact.

Rather than simply providing answers, the session opened up a space for questioning, reflection, and exchange.



META-MUSEUM Project receives funding from the European Union Research and Innovation Programme. Any related posts reflect only the views of the project owner.

06/10/2026

Can we measure what culture does to us?

When we encounter cultural heritage, something happens beyond simply looking and learning.

🧠 Our brains process the experience. Our physiological state can change. Our bodies may subtly move. And, of course, we interpret what we see through our own thoughts, memories, and emotions.

In META-MUSEUM UNPACKED #04, researchers from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) explore how these different dimensions of cultural experience can be studied together.

📖 Read the full open-access article here: https://meta-museum-project.eu/publications/



META-MUSEUM Project receives funding from the European Union Research and Innovation Programme. Any related posts reflect only the views of the project owner.

02/10/2026

Autumn brings a fresh edition of the META-MUSEUM newsletter! 🍂

Our research is moving into real-world impact through prototype testing, neuroscience insights on culture and empathy, and preparation for our 5th General Assembly in Barcelona next month.

Catch up on what’s inside:
- Politecnico di Torino's new podcast featuring our Project Manager
- Insights on museums as "safe places"
- The launch of the CONNECT EU HERITAGE Cluster
- MetaHeritage Pitching Showcase highlights

Check your mailbox or read the full update here: https://meta-museum-project.eu/?p=4839



META-MUSEUM Project receives funding from the European Union Research and Innovation Programme. Any related posts reflect only the views of the project owner.

29/09/2026

🎙️ Emozioni in mostra — the new episode of Change Makers featuring META-MUSEUM!

In Episode 4, Emotions on Display (Emozioni in mostra), our Project Manager and Researcher at DAD Polito - Dipartimento di Architettura e Design, Gianluca D’Agostino, explores the core ideas behind the META-MUSEUM project.

The episode looks at how engaging with cultural heritage can become a deeply emotional experience — creating lasting memories and inviting everyone to participate, co-create, and leave their mark.

Cultural heritage is for everyone. More than a legacy of the past, it can also become a powerful way to navigate the challenges and uncertainties of the present.

Change Makers is a Politecnico di Torino podcast co-funded by the European Commission and launched during the 20th European Researchers’ Night.

🎧 The episode is available in Italian.

Links:
-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/53y4AM8zuRWBNZCTj2897k
-Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/es-us/podcasts/f5a50531-0bdb-4f7a-85fd-49156d9bf7a4/episodes/eaf4d84c-eda0-4018-9cc9-25596a8f736c/change-makers---storie-di-ricerca-che-fanno-la-differenza-emozioni-in-mostra
-Apple Music https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/emozioni-in-mostra/id6808147383?i=1000791622975



META-MUSEUM Project receives funding from the European Union Research and Innovation Programme. Any related posts reflect only the views of the project owner

25/09/2026

How can Europe preserve, question and reimagine its cultural heritage for future generations?

CONNECT EU HERITAGE brings together five EU-funded projects: CONCILIARE, INT-ACT, RESTORY, META-MUSEUM and REEVALUATE.

We work across complementary areas, from immersive technologies and storytelling to co-creation, critical reflection and community engagement.

Together, we show how collaboration across projects can create a richer, more inclusive and forward-looking approach to heritage.

Watch the video and discover the synergies behind CONNECT EU HERITAGE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y_5fyWytE8



META-MUSEUM Project receives funding from the European Union Research and Innovation Programme. Any related posts reflect only the views of the project owner.

The video presents CONNECT EU HERITAGE as a shared European effort ...

23/09/2026

What happens to our bodies and minds when we experience cultural heritage: both inside traditional museums and out in the real world? 🏛️✨

In the META-MUSEUM project, our Pilots go far beyond standard scientific tests. They are creative, experimental journeys designed to re-imagine how we encounter the past. By measuring physiological responses during baseline tests and interactive interventions (powered by the TransforMEANS theory!), we are exploring how cultural heritage can spark modern curiosity and drive truly transformative experiences.

Curious to see how we are shaping the future of heritage?
Stay tuned for more updates!



META-MUSEUM Project receives funding from the European Union Research and Innovation Programme. Any related posts reflect only the views of the project owner.