Experiences across time and place
The goal is to align communication and attract visitors. Geographically, the seven museums are gathered within a reasonable distance in Southern Denmark and Northern Germany. At the same time, they are connected through a common historical focus. Even so, until now they have only collaborated sporadically. However, a new EU-supported project is about to change that.
Three tourism destinations will help with storytelling and attracting visitors, while four knowledge institutions will offer their individual expertise in exhibition and communication techniques to ensure contemporary, relevant, and attractive communication – also on the journey between the locations.
- It makes a lot of sense to tie the stories together and to communicate across locations. It is like going from an all-night movie to a series of TV episodes instead, says Associate Professor and Project Manager Sune Gudiksen from Design School Kolding.
Together, the seven locations can become a great attraction and at the same time explore a so far untapped potential in the historical focus that they share. The museum professionals must be able to work across museums and build up the historical connections and at the same time incorporate cultural differences. The project will be extensive and demanding, but the composition of partners makes the project unique, and it is a chance to pull together.
Tourism studies show that there is a great and renewed interest in the Second World War, especially if you can link it to the present and create debate about the future. In addition to various segments of interest groups that want to empathize and immerse themselves, there is also a focus on younger generations.
- After all, there are not that many alive who have experienced those chapters of history. We would like – not least to the younger audience – to convey knowledge about how history can be used preventively, says Sune Gudiksen.
The project begins in March 2023 and will go on for three years. It is supported by Interreg Deutschland-Danmark, which is a programme that aims to promote development in the Danish-German region. The programme had its first application round in 2022 and runs until 2027.
Design School Kolding is a leading partner in the project, which also includes Museum Kolding, Frøslevlejrens Museum, KZ Gedenks- und Begegnungsstätte Ladelund, KZ-Gedenkstätte Husum-Schwesing, The Jewish Museum in Rendsborg, Billund Municipality Museums, KZ-Gedenkstätte Neuengamme, Destination Triangle Area, Destination Sønderjylland, Tourist office Flensburger Förde, Fachhochschule Kiel, Europa-Universität Flensburg, and UC SYD.
The project is part of Design School Kolding's Lab for Play and Design and the research/development programme 'Playful attractions'.
