<< Background >>The iNTANGIBLE project aims to support cultural workers and Intangible Cultural Heritage, professionals develop and enhance their digital competencies to match the rapid digital shift consequently aiding the accessibility and innovation of Intangible Cultural Heritage around Europe. Throughout the last decade, digital users in Europe have grown to 89%, with COIVD-19 measures resulting in the fastest digitisation process of both professional and personal life. Starting in 2020, the Digital Agenda of Europe has established the development of a single digital market as the main goal in the contribution towards sustainable and inclusive growth. Along with the impacts that natural disasters, environmental changes, and conflict have put on cultural heritage, the pandemic has placed the digitisation of cultural heritage at the forefront of European heritage formation and preservation. While cultural organisations were closed, museums facilitated a wide variety of digital initiatives and experiences to keep cultural heritage accessible and maintain relationships with their audiences. This phenomenon of heritage digitisation transforms Europe’s cultural resources into crucial stepping stones towards the digital economy and will consequently provide Europe’s Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) with new competitive tools for innovation and usability. Consequently, considering the importance of heritage and culture to European cohesion and economy, CCI’s across Europe requires the relevant digital skills and competencies in order to contend with the rapidly advancing pace of innovation while additionally contributing to sustainable, environmentally-friendly models of education through limiting the use of printed material via ICH digitisation. The project came to light through the consortium cultural organizations (P1) identification of significant gaps in ICH professional's knowledge on the capabilities of digitization as well as their lack of technical competencies. Moreover, through a preliminary needs analysis and research, partners consequently found no model for ICH digitization in the European framework.The partnership is selectively comprised of cultural and research organizations, universities (P1, P2), tech professionals(P3), and VET specialists (P5). This consortium has been brought together to bridge the gap between digital and cultural experts through their input and expertise and the consequent development of relevant Project Results and Training which will encompass the innovative elements needed to match the digital shift in the cultural realm.The Intangible main beneficiaries are: Internal beneficiaries: •Professionals from partner cultural groups that aren't directly involved in the project's implementation•Participants and members from the partnership's educational institutions who have been educated in the presentation, preservation, and propagation of intangible cultural heritage.External Beneficiaries: •Staff from cultural organisations, educational networks, employers' unions, and organizations that are not part of the relationship.•Individuals interested in the digitization of ICH who can use the e-learning platform for educational purposes.<< Objectives >>The Intangible project aims to meet the growing demands of the ICH European sector by developing an innovative framework for heritage digitization, as well as training and Project Results (PRs) concerned with heritage preservation through digitisation, promotion, and accessibility of material, and ICH presentation. Through the implementation of digitization training and the developed PRs, the project will contribute to addressing common obstacles faced due to the rapid digital shift and subsequent need for innovative models in the cultural sector, developing participant’s ability to apply practical skills in digital competencies to their professional domains. Due to the necessity for national culture to become accessible and, as a result, engage the public in new and inventive ways, digitization of cultural heritage has become increasingly vital in today's Europe and its cohesion.As a result, with cultural workers and ICH professionals as the target group, we propose a project with the following goals:-To support ICH professionals match the digital shift -To develop an innovative and comprehensive Framework and Guidebook for ICH digitization-To bring professionals in the cultural sector together with tech specialists archivists and aid the exchange of expertise -To develop Project Results and Training which will aid the accessibility and innovation of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Europe- To create a successful, fruitful and long-lasting partnership which may be transferable to other relevant projects.<< Implementation >>The consortium's key objective is to establish a coherent partnership that will receive the maximum level of engagement feasible. We will strive to accommodate our participant's diverse needs and expectations, working pace, and background through all the project activities and deliverables that strive to meet the project objectives.The following are the activities and project events that are anticipated:1. Project management: It is critical that everything is completed on time and that defined and quantifiable objectives are established for the project as a whole, as well as for each phase and activity. This requires that all project partners have a thorough awareness of the project's goals, objectives, outcomes, actions, and phases. Management, quality monitoring, and evaluation of project activities will be ensured from the onset of the project owing to the guidance provided by the agreed Project Management Plan (P1), Evaluation and Quality Assurance Plan (P2), Dissemination Plan (P4), and Sustainability and Exploitation Plan (P5). To build a solid basis, all materials will be prepared with the help of all partners. These plans will explicitly describe and specify the project's regulations, as well as the partners' roles, task and responsibility allocation, risk mitigation measures, and many other management actions for the partners to follow.2. Project Results: The project's goal is to create an ICH digitalization methodology and educational package that can be used by cultural workers and others who want to train cultural workers in digitizing their meterial. This activity will be completed using an integrated strategy. The partnership will begin by conducting desk research on existing ICH digitization models and theories, followed by field research on the needs of cultural workers at a national level (PR1). Through the study of the preliminary needs was completed during the preparation of this proposal, the partnership revealed significant gaps in information on ICH digitization. Consequently, the PR will investigate deeper the needs of cultural workers and existing models in order to build a solid foundation for all PR and activities. The results of both studies will be used to construct R2: Professional Training Course Curriculum and Handbook, while an e-learning platform and digital map (R3) will be developed to accompany the training course (C1). All produced PR will then be integrated into the project's e-learning platform (R3), which will serve as both an online training platform and a network platform for youth and social professionals. R3 will also have an Open Badge system to assist authenticate the skills learned during the training.3. 1 Blended LTTA: consisting of a 6-hour online course (through R3) and a 7-day face-to-face training event for youth workers (C1) on ICH digitisation. Prior to the C1 mobility, an online webinar will be held to prepare participants for the on-site training course.4. Three Physical TPMs and virtual communication (emails, online meetings) will help to ensure that the project's progress is effectively monitored. The number of TPMs will be minimised in order to achieve environmental sustainability.5.5 multiplier events to deliver “iNTEGRATE” workshops and promote the project, its PR among its target groups and stakeholders (E1-E5)<< Results >>With the rapid digitization of sectors across the globe due to international lockdown measures, came the subsequent increased demand for professionals working in digital sectors. As these shifts into digitization progress steadily, so do the skills required in various professional sectors such as the Cultural Creative Industries, which now require a broader understanding of information technology and technical skills. The digitization of cultural heritage and the development of digital archives has increased the need for appropriate technical strategies to aid access to and effective use of these collections. Consequently, for individuals working in the cultural sector, it is imperative to develop the necessary digital competencies which will allow them to connect with the public in accessible, innovative ways. Creating a learning environment where digital, cultural, and archiving professionals work together to bridge the gap between culture and the IT sector is a pivotal step towards building innovative and accessible professional skills across Europe. With this in mind, there is no specific national/regional policies on the digitization of intangible heritage in a European framework. Although the implementation of the International Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (UNESCO, 2003) established some strategies surrounding ICH digitization, it stands as the only guidance on the subject.The project outcomes are directly linked to the project results and activities:1. “iNTANGIBLE” educational Package including 3 interconnected educational materials: R1: iNTANGIBLE Desk and Field Research . The research will consequently support the development of R2: iNTANGIBLE Training Course Curriculum and Handbook for professionals. Finally, the training package will be available through an online platform (R3) which will host a digital archiving community map to be used by participants as an example of ICH digitisation. The platform will feature an “Open badges” system which will be automatically linked with the assessment process of the courses for recognition and validation of the learning process. The platform will serve not only as an online training platform but also as a network platform for youth/social workers. During the social circus training and 6-hour online course (C1), the partnership will pilot-test the developed package with a group of youth-at-risk, the final beneficiaries, and produce a report. 2. 15 trained ICH professionals (3 from each partner organization) who will master the theoretical frameworks and practical approaches to ICH digitization through a blended program. The blended training will consist of 6 hours of online training, in the form of webinars, spread into 2 days- through IO3 and 8 days face-to-face training (C1).3. 5 multiplier events to promote the project, its results, and its outcomes among cultural creatives, ICH professionals, and relevant organisation (museums, cultural organizations, galleries, community centers, tech companies, universities ) (E1-E6) Other results of “iNTANGIBLE” project will be:1) The teaching materials developed within the project will be taught to staff and associates of the partner organizations (culture workers, ICH professionals, and archivists). Number expected: 402) Increasing public awareness of the benefits of ICH digitalization. Cultural organizations, museums, galleries, universities, cultural creatives, and others will learn about the project by visiting the project's website and platform, which incorporates all of the teaching materials (R1, R2, R3). expected reach: 1000.Additionally, the project also foresees a set of project management, dissemination, monitoring and evaluation, and coordination results.