Hundreds of Timisoara students discovered the applications Heritage AR and VR SpotlightThey learnt to create illustrations and images that tell the story of the city and discovered the history of Timisoara and information technology. Guided by the UPT ID/IFR and Digital Education Department team, the little ones spent the last weeks fascinated by technology, at digital creation workshops, as well as in the UPT Museum and ExperimentariumTM.

The actions are part of the Creative Schools - Timisoara Stories initiated by the Polytechnic University of Timișoara, through the Department of ID/IFR and Digital Education, together with the "Grigore Moisil" Theoretical High School and the Primary School no. 19 Timișoara - project that is part of the National Cultural Programme "Timișoara - European Capital of Culture in 2023"

Graphic design workshops for students

team Spotlight Heritage Timisoaraa, through the Department of ID/IFR and Digital Education of the Polytechnic University of Timisoara, in partnership with the "Grigore Moisil" High School of Timisoara, through Prof. Magda Gurzun, organized a series of graphic design workshops for students, supported by experts from DeL UPT.

Together with the DeL team, the youngsters experimented with photo and video editing concepts and learnt theoretical concepts related to light or movement, learning to create illustrations that tell moments of the city's history or scenes inspired by local culture, using both traditional and modern design techniques.

Outdoor photo-video production

The theoretical notions were then applied by the children in practical activities: they went for a walk in the open air, discovering the landmarks of Timisoara's neighbourhoods within the Project. Spotlight Heritage Timisoarawhich they photographed and filmed, both with their personal phones and with professional cameras.

Interactive tours at the UPT Museum and ExperimentariumTM

For a week, both students from the 19th Primary School and the "Grigore Moisil" Theoretical High School enjoyed a series of interactive tours, guided by the Spotlight Heritage Timisoara team, at the UPT Museum, as part of the Open Days: from MECIPT to Virtual Reality.

Here, the little ones explored Timișoara of now and then through the Spotlight Heritage Timișoara mobile and virtual and mixed reality apps, as well as a host of other interactive apps developed for educational purposes. In addition, students also discovered the artistic universe of the city through the digital installation Tipare ale Poeziei (artist: Marius Jurca, 13m10j), "grew" a virtual garden full of flowers with the help of the Physic AI Garden app (artists: Anna Dumitriu & Alex May, in collaboration with CAPABLE Project and BioArt Revolution, organised as part of the Romanian Science Festival), and tried out games developed in augmented reality.

Creative Schools Project - Timisoara Stories

The Creative Schools Project - Timisoara's Stories is a continuation of the project Spotlight Heritage Timișoara team, part of the cultural programme of Timisoara Capital of Culture 2023 - a project that aims to tell the multiple stories of Timisoara through digital technologies, stories of cultural and historical heritage, of technical development, of communities and neighbourhoods, of past and present inhabitants.

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.