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FORSTERK-Forsterkningsmidler

Implementing RePAST in Norway through innovative tools for dealing with the past

Awarded: NOK 1.0 mill.

Project Number:

322641

Project Period:

2021 - 2023

Funding received from:

Location:

The project "Implementing RePAST in Norway through innovative tools for dealing with the past" (RePAST-NOR) Background: The aim of RePAST-NOR has been to strengthen the impact of the Horistont2020 project RePAST (Revisiting the Past, Anticipating the Future) in Norway. As part of the research and communication work carried out in RePAST, several developmental tools were developed. An interactive app/ computer game has been created for use in schools, to develop the students’ ability to assess and evaluate undocumented claims and stories from documented sources. The game "Fact Finders" is currently in use in several European countries. Digital walking tours were also developed through conflict areas in eight European capitals. In addition, teaching material on Dark Tourism was also developed for higher education and the tourist/museum sector in Europe. Through RePAST-NOR, we have developed RePAST's various tools for theNorwegian setting: 1) Documentary film - working title "Five days half human" (pilot and script development) We have developed a pilot and part of the script for a documentary film based on the life of one of the survivors of the Kosovo war in 1998-1999. He tells his story, how he feels today and visits the area in Kosovo where he and his family had to hide. This has been developed in collaboration between the University of Agder and the production company Dokufilm AS in Kristiansand. The next step will be to secure funding for further recording and production. 2) Digital/physical walking tour in the tracks of the Second World War Through RePAST-NOR, we have developed a digital/physical walking tour through the center of Kristiansand with stops where key events in the Second World War took place. This has been in collaboration with the Arkivet Peace and Human Rights Center in Kristiansand, which has developed the content. The technology company ClioMuse in Athens (Greece) has been responsible for the technical production and platform. ClioMuse also produced the walking tours in RePAST. The walking tour is now offered free of charge through CliMuse's website (link: https://cliomusetours.com/tours/world-war-ii-in-kristiansandon-choices-and-values/). The walking tour is used today by Arkivet in its teaching of students and guests. We are now promoting this for schools and the tourism sector in Southern Norway. The walking tour has been developed in both Norwegian and English languages. 3) Computer game/app "Historiejakten” RePAST-NOR has developed "Historiejakten", an app / computer game in which players must critically evaluate various sources that will tell about events from the Second World War in Norway, Kristiansand and at Arkivet (which has the Gestapo's headquarters in Southern Norway). The game is based on RePAST's "Fact Finders" template, but the new Norwegian game has a completely new Norwegian content. This work has been carried out by UiA in collaboration with Arkivet HERE in Kristiansand and the game development company Serious Games Interactive (SGI) in Copenhagen. (SGI also worked with RePAST on "Fact Finders". The game is currently used as part of Arkivet’s teaching program for high school students (approx. 3,000 students per year). We will also market it to high schools elsewhere in Norway, universities and colleges, as well as NGOs. The game is offered free of charge as an app through the AppStore, link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/historiejakten/id6448941958 , via Google Play, link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.SeriousGamesInteractive.Historiejakten , in addition to a desktop version that will soon be downloadable from SGI's homepage. 4) Development of teaching material on Dark Tourism and presentation of them for the tourism sector / seminar We have translated and developed teaching materials about Dark Tourism in Norwegian and offered them to the Norwegian tourism sector. The material is based on the work we carried out in the RePAST project, and it consists of two courses on the topic: a) A 6-week online course aimed specifically at the tourism industry b) A 10-week course aimed at higher education in travel and tourism This material was presented at a seminar for the Tourism Network for the museums within Virke on 22 February 2023 where the material was sent and offered free of charge. 5) Final seminar with presentation and evaluation of RePAST's activities We organized a final seminar for RePAST-NOR on June 1, 2023, in collaboration with the Archives for Peace and Human Rights. We invited participants from higher education, high schools, tourism, NGOs and private individuals. It was approx. 80 participants covering all these sectors. The seminar contained lectures on Dark Tourism by Dr. Philip Stone (the world's leading researcher in the field), presentations of the digital walking tour and the "Historiejakten" and all participants testtested both products. It was a workshop with valuable feedback on RePAST-NOR's deliverables.

Virkninger og effekter: Prosjektet ble til gjennom bevilgningen fra Forskningsrådets forsterkningsmidler etter at vi (UiA) var partner i Horisont 2020-prosjektet RePAST for å synliggjøre de innovative verktøyene i Norge. Gjennom RePAST-NOR – prosjektet har vi klart å oppfylle alle intensjonene i søknaden. Når det gjelder virkninger og effekter vil vi særlig løfte fram det digitale spillet «Historiejakten» og den digitale vandreturen i Kristiansand. I tillegg har undervisningsopplegget for mørk turisme og dokumentarfilmen potensiale til å ha store virkninger. a) «Historiejakten»: Dette spillet er allerede i bruk som en del av Arkivets undervisningsopplegg for skoleelever. Det betyr at ca. 3000 elever vil spille det og øve seg opp i kildekritikk i forhold til historiske begivenheter. Utviklingen av forskningsbaserte spill er viktig i en tid med en del falsk informasjon på sosiale medier. Vi skal også markedsføre spillet for skoler på Sørlandet. b) Den digitale vandreturen gjennom Kristiansand: Denne vandreturen er også tatt i bruk av Arkivet freds- og menneskerettighetssenter som en del av deres undervisningsopplegg. Dette er et resultat av at Arkivet var med på utviklingen av vandreturen. Vandreturen er også formidlet til Visit Sørlandet og andre nettverk innen reiseliv. c) Undervisningsopplegg om mørk turisme for reiselivsbransjen og høyere utdanning innen reiseliv og turisme: Dette er det første undervisningsopplegget om denne tematikken (turisme i krigs- og konfliktområder). Vi har formidlet dette til reiselivsnettverket i Virke, og de har vist interesse for dette opplegget. Vi skal også formidle emneplanene til studiesteder som har utdanning innen reiseliv og turisme. d) Promo og manusutvikling for dokumentarfilmen «Five days a human». Vi har fått utviklet dette, som første del i prosessen med å produsere en komplett dokumentarfilm om å overleve krig og konflikt og å snu opplevelsene til noe meningsfullt. Gjennom samarbeidet med Dokufilm AS og nettverket innen film håper vi å søke finansiering til selve hovedproduksjon av filmen. Her er promoen en sentral del av dette arbeidet. RePAST-NOR har vært et prosjekt med utstrakt nettverksbygging mellom norsk akademia (UiA), kompetanseorganisasjoner (Arkivet freds- og menneskerettighetssenter), internasjonale firmaer innen innovasjon og teknologi (SGI og ClioMuse) og norske produksjonsmiljøet (Dokufilm AS). Dette samarbeidet har ført fram til innovative verktøy som allerede er tatt i bruk. Videre viser oversikten over resultater at vi har drevet med mye formidling gjennom prosjektperioden, særlig den siste delen. En vitenskapelig artikkel, kronikk, mange seminarer og flere medieopptredener har gjort prosjektet godt kjent, særlig på Sørlandet, men også videre utover. Vi vil fortsette med denne formidlingen.

RePAST-NOR is a project with specific activities that will introduce innovative tools for dealing with troubled past. This project will introduce RePAST’s developed innovative ways of learning about and negotiating discourses and narratives about Europe’s troubled and contested past – with a focus on Norway. Through the activities planned, the findings and innovative tools and methods will be implemented in Norway with a focus on the following target groups: school children, youth, the tourism industry, museums, students, municipalities, academics, and journalists. These groups will gain access to research results and new digital tools in critically assessing history. Through the RePAST project we have, in addition to academic outputs (article and books) developed a series of games called “Fact Finders” where the users can navigate through difficult scenarios from conflicts in Europe. We have also developed a tour experience in eight European cities where the users navigate with their mobile phones to physical monuments and institutions related to the past and learn by using a “GeoCatch” technology. Furthermore, we have developed educational material for museums and tourism organizations dealing with “dark tourism” (tourism to places of past conflicts), a growing trend in the tourism industry. Also, material helping journalists cover difficult issues of conflicts, including sexual abuse. This, and more, will be implemented in Norway through RePAST-NOR.

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Funding scheme:

FORSTERK-Forsterkningsmidler

Funding Sources