Dutch researchers funded in JPICH call
JPICH - the Joint Programming Initiative on Cultural Heritage - is a network of countries that fund research, including the Netherlands. Last year JPICH has launched a call for research proposals on the theme of ‘Cultural Heritage, Identities & Perspectives: Responding to Changing Societies’ (CHIP). Scholars were invited to submit research proposals on the role of heritage in society from different (inter)national perspectives and value systems.
In the course of January 2021, the winning projects have been announced: out of 90 submitted proposals, six were elected for funding. The topics addressed by the projects selected for funding are highly diverse, ranging from Olive Heritage to South-East Asian Sound Archives. Three of these include Dutch research teams. A good result, as the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands is promoting international research opportunities for researchers based in the Netherlands through its participation in JPICH.
Three projects with Dutch researchers
Two of the projects in which Dutch researchers are participating will study archives that date back to colonial times, with the aim to broaden the interpretation and accessibility of these resources. Led by scholars from the University of Amsterdam, three very special South-East Asian archives with rather rare sound tapes will be made accessible by a team of researchers from France, the UK and the Netherlands.
In the second project, in which the Free University of Amsterdam participates, the ‘colonial mentality’ of archives of both audio and visuals sources will be scrutinized. By looking at these sources with a contemporary view, the researchers aim to promote a dialogue between diverse perspectives in order to promote a polyvocal interpretation that is included back into the archives
The third research project focuses on the dynamics and (power) relations between minority cultures and that of the majority. The researcher from, amongst others, the University of Groningen, will specifically analyse the regions of Cornwall (UK), Livonian (Estonia) and Friesland. The identity of minority groups is often intricately linked with the intangible heritage of a specific region, while generally the majority culture is in the lead of portraying those identities in, for instance, regional branding expressions. This dynamic does not contribute to the resilience and cohesion of such minority cultures. This research aims to enhance that vitality and provide insights that are both valuable for the region as well as for (inter)national policies.
About the CHIP call
The call specified five sub-topics within the overarching theme of identities, heritage and changing societies. Applicants were encouraged to collaborate in a cross-disciplinary manner in order to combine knowledge and expertise from the humanities and social sciences, arts, and the technical and/or physical sciences. Interdisciplinary exchange is necessary to develop innovative research into cultural heritage.
The research projects will collectively receive € 3,9 million. The countries participating in this call are Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Greece, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
About JPI Cultural Heritage
The Joint Programming Initiative Cultural Heritage (JPICH) unites over 15 countries in Europe that join forces in programming and funding international heritage research. In this network, the Netherlands are represented by the Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE) and the Dutch Research Council (NWO). The protection and preservation of Europe's cultural heritage is of great importance. This requires research across national borders.
JPICH organizes a series of joint transnational research calls within the field of cultural heritage. The calls aim to support research into strategies, methodologies and tools to safeguard and use the physical components of cultural heritage. This call was the one within the ‘roadmap for calls’ for the period 2017-2020. In the past, calls organized in the context of the JPI CH concerned research into digital heritage (2017), heritage in changing environments (2018), and conservation, protection and use (2019). This year a new call will be launched again.
More information
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