Graduate Level Course

Equity, Empathy & Ethics in Digital Heritage Research and Practice

“Equity, Empathy & Ethics in Digital Heritage Research and Practice” builds upon a partnership spanning Manchester, UK and Toronto, Canada. Led by Kostas Arvanitis, Cara Krmpotich, and Maria Paula Arias, the partnership brought together students, faculty, Toronto History Museum staff, Whitworth Gallery staff and Manchester Museum staff who all share an interest in the ways technical, social and political aspects of digital heritage intersect.

Through the GLAM Incubator, we are developing a graduate level course investigating these intersections, drawing on the practices in both cities, and beyond. We brought Combined Degree Program student Daochun Li on board as a research assistant, whose interests in equity, digital archives and digital culture were an ideal fit for the project. Longer-term, we look to develop opportunities for Manchester and Toronto students to learn alongside cultural sector colleagues pursuing professional development. We are launching physical and digital spaces where we can collectively explore the potential for digital heritage to more fully embody and enact equity and empathy, and our ethical positions.