Going viral: Museums and 3D (Part 1)

British Council

Building on work carried out at the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology in London.

In a two part feature, Tonya Nelson defines and expands on the the idea of ‘viral capacity building’ – the acquisition of knowledge and expertise through person-to-person transfer - in light of the use of 3D technologies in museums and galleries.

The imperative to use digital technologies to engage the public and improve back office operations is higher than ever.  Recognizing this, major UK cultural funding agencies such as NESTA, Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council have, or soon will be, launching major funding calls for new digital projects. I welcome this support, but wonder what the best model for deploying this funding is if we seek to sustain innovation in the sector. In its recent funding call, NESTA asked cultural organizations to partner with commercial sector technology companies to develop digital projects over 1 year period for an amount between £50,000 –£100,000.