The International Festival of Digital Culture and Heritage in Norway was a triumph of innovation and cross-border collaboration, bringing together culture and technology enthusiasts from around the world in a unique digital journey into the world of Timisoara, European Capital of Culture 2023.

Spotlight Heritage Timisoara, in partnership with the Timisoara 2023 European Capital of Culture Association, the Polytechnic University of Timisoara and the National Museum of Banat, with the Norwegian partner University of Agder and with the support of the Romanian Embassy in Norway, organized the International Festival of Digital Culture and Heritage in Norway.

For a period of one week reality merged with the virtual and the history of the capital city of Banat was revealed to a diverse Norwegian audience. The event, which took place in three locations in Norway - Trondheim, Grimstad and Oslo - attracted 1500 participants in total, including student volunteers from Agder University. Each location contributed its unique atmosphere with a diverse audience ranging from students, teachers, cultural people, diplomats, along with children, teenagers and tourists from Romania, Norway and other nationalities.

The festival kicked off on 25 August in Trondheim, where 60 people had the opportunity to explore Timisoara's culture and history through an immersive digital experience. The festival continued with a three-day trip to Grimstad, where 400 participants discovered Timisoara's stories and cultural heritage through digital technology and virtual and mixed reality. The final day of the festival, supported by the Romanian Embassy in Norway and hosted by the French Institute in Oslo, attracted nearly 100 culture and technology enthusiasts from the Norwegian capital.

Dragoș Cantea, concert pianist and artistic director of the Classics Festival, pointed out:"It was great that the experience was not only based on the well-known things of the city, but we were able to learn stories of people who influenced the society and community of Timisoara in the past.“

A remarkable aspect of the Festival was the unique opportunity for participants to visit Timisoara without leaving Norway. They became "virtual tourists" for a day and explored the city through virtual reality, visiting heritage buildings and important sights, scanned in 3D with the help of Cyberscanning partners. The digital applications used during the event were passionately developed by students and professors of Politehnica University Timișoara.

The event drew words of praise from the many participants as well as official representatives.

Cristian Bădescu, Romania's Ambassador to the Kingdom of Norway, said:"It's a new experience, new sensations. We all know that we are moving towards a world in which the real is becoming increasingly and deeply accompanied by the digital [...], on the other hand, this experience was a homecoming.“

Silviu-Vasile Jipa, Minister Counsellor, first collaborator of the Embassy of Romania to the Kingdom of Norway, said:"It was a great experience to see Timisoara in a different way, virtually.“

Filippo Sanfilippo, Prof. Dr. at the Department of Engineering Sciences of the University of Agder, pointed out:"This Festival is a very special event and we are delighted to host multicultural teams from different countries - Romania, Poland, Slovakia etc. - guests who are really excited about this Digital Festival. It's also a unique opportunity to learn about the history of a city and be immersed in a brilliant immersive experience that helps us learn more about Timisoara's culture and historical monuments, especially in 2023, the year the city is European Capital of Culture.“

The International Festival of Digital Culture and Heritage in Norway was a special moment where culture and technology came together to offer participants a unique and memorable experience. Spotlight Heritage Timisoara is grateful for the cooperation with the University of Agder and the support received from the Romanian Embassy in Norway. On this occasion, the EEA and Norway funding has enabled the development of the bilateral relationship between Romania and Norway by sharing the richness of Timisoara's cultural heritage internationally.

The digital components of the project are accessible online at https://spotlight-timisoara.eu/ and via mobile apps that can be downloaded from Android and Apple stores or by searching "Spotlight Heritage Timisoara".

• App link for Android users: https://is.gd/SjiIgv
• App link for iOS users: https://is.gd/y6JxeV

Event information is also available on:

• Web page: https://spotlight-timisoara.eu/
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SpotlightHeritageTimisoara/
• Twitter: @spotlight_TM21
• Instagram: @spotlight_tm

Spotlight Heritage Timișoara / Patrimoniul sub reflectoare is a digital cultural initiative of the Politehnica University of Timișoara realized in partnership with the National Museum of Banat, part of the Cultural Programme Timișoara 2023 European Capital of Culture. Cultural project co-financed by the Center for Projects of the Municipality of Timișoara, Timiș County Council, Ministry of Culture, Romania, EEA and Norway Grants. In Norway the project is presented with the support of the University of Agder, Romanian Embassy in Norway.

The event is part of the Spotlight Heritage Timișoara digital cultural initiative, part of the Cultural Programme Timișoara 2023 European Capital of Culture and is co-funded by EEA and Norway Grants.