PAST IDENTITIES: Interactive eyewitnesses – New forms of knowledge transfer in museums

Museums face the challenge of conveying historical content in a way that is accessible, emotionally engaging and appeals across generations. Digital technologies open up new possibilities in this regard – not as an end in themselves, but as a tool for a more immersive encounter with history. This talk presents the PAST IDENTITIES project and demonstrates an approach whereby scientifically sound and historically accurate interactive avatars can enrich museum education. The digital characters, embodied by real-life actors and actresses, combine in-depth historical research – including the accurate depiction of people, clothing, everyday objects and material culture from past eras – with digital technology and narrative-based communication. This creates new opportunities to engage visitors in an interactive dialogue with historical figures and the worlds in which they lived, in a personal way.