Presentation made to the Digital Past 2012 National Conference

1. DIGITAL PAST 2012
New Technologies in heritage, interpretation and outreach
Matt Chilcott & Steve Moss

2. MonmouthpediA is the first Wikipedia project to cover a whole town (that is
wifi-enabled for the first time).
The project aims to cover notable places, people, artefacts, flora, fauna and
other things in Monmouth in as many languages as possible with content co-
created with the local community.
The Council for British Archaeology have designated Monmouth as the
seventh best town for archaeology in Britain.
Monmouth aims to be the first place in the world to offer its
tourist information in over 250 languages.
Matt Chilcott & Steve Moss

3. MonmouthpediA utilises QRpedia codes, a type of bar code smartphones
can read through cameras that takes you to a Wikipedia article in the
language of the end user.
Articles have coordinating geotags to allow a virtual tour of the town using
using app tools like the Wikipedia layer on Google Street View and in
augmented reality software including layar.
1,000 QRpedia codes around Monmouth by mid April ’12 including
enhanced interpretation in the Local History Museum and the Shire Hall.
Partnership led by WikiMedia UK & Monmouthshire CC.
Matt Chilcott & Steve Moss

4. MonmouthpediA & the wifi-town underpin a creative and inclusive
digital community (made up of locals, businesses and visitors
participating in forming a new sense of place throughout the town and
its surrounds).
The project has a significant international profile from which to cascade
Monmouth’s culture heritage and identity to a global audience and
attract new visitors to the Wales.
Matt Chilcott & Steve Moss

5. Co-creation of content through ‘themed’ community engagement events:
Monmouth Past / Monmouth Arts/ Wild Monmouth / Active Monmouth / Streets
of Monmouth / Rolls & Monmouth etc
Archives ‘Quests’ with volunteers enriching articles with finds
in the Gwent Archives
Collaboration with schools and major employers
Matt Chilcott & Steve Moss

6. Research
Steve Moss is investigating the effectiveness of the practices utilised in the
MonmouthpediA project within the context of pervasive digital heritage
interpretation techniques. In particular he is examining community
generated heritage content as a potential new form of digital interpretation
practice alongside evaluation of the end user experience.
Matt Chilcott is investigating the project design and public engagement
methodologies adopted by the MonmouthpediA initiative in consideration
of their potential adoption as additional digital inclusion intervention
measures in disadvantaged communities in Wales which experience low
online participation rates and lack the benefits of digital identity.
Matt Chilcott & Steve Moss

7. Things to to think about as at February ’12:
Context of the project – QRpedia and Crowdsourcery
Wifi town - impact on Monmouth as test bed for further studies / digital
inclusion / digital tourism experiences
Pervasive museum experiences & new trails – strengthening the links between
the museum and the town
New tourism experiences – beyond consume – how best to participate & with
which technologies – QRpedia Codes / layar etc.
Cross fertilisation of co-created content with the People’s Collection Wales
Matt Chilcott & Steve Moss

8. DIGITAL PAST 2012
New Technologies in heritage, interpretation and outreach
Matt Chilcott & Steve Moss