Europa Nostra and the European Museum Academy have taken the joint initiative to launch the Heritage in Motion Festival. These two founding partner organisations felt the need to gather the best multimedia products and achievements at a European Festival, focussing specifically on themes related to the safeguarding and promotion of Europe's heritage. On 8 September the website www.heritageinmotion.eu was presented to the public at the European Life I Live Festival in The Hague, The Netherlands. This was also the starting date of the Heritage in Motion Award 2013 contest.

Heritage in Motion

'Heritage in Motion' is a biennial Multimedia Festival for the creators, the audiences and users of films, games, apps and websites on themes related to Europe's heritage, cultural and natural, tangible and intangible. The Festival grants awards and celebrates the best multimedia achievements and products -through varied, creative and innovative means- in order to draw attention to the value of Europe’s cultural and natural heritage in all its facets.

Cultural heritage is everywhere around us, but often remains unnoticed. Nowadays we are used to the fact that buildings are restored, landscapes are protected and certain folk art traditions are preserved in our society. However, cultural heritage changes with new generations: everything that is beautiful is also very vulnerable and needs to be protected, in order to remain accessible in the future.

Aims of Heritage in Motion

1. To enhance the knowledge and understanding of Europe's heritage among young and old.
2. To improve access to Europe's heritage, especially for young people.
3. To attract and inspire the younger generation to experience their heritage.
4. To link the experiential and perceptual world of young people to what is beautiful, through vision, discovery and interaction, both online and in real-time.
5. To stimulate and encourage the guardians of Europe's heritage and the makers of films, games and websites to share existing and to produce new multimedia material related to heritage.
6. To share best practices among the champions and supporters of Europe's heritage in the field of marketing and the use of new media.

Heritage in Motion Award

Producers, directors or other representatives of multimedia productions which relate to Europe's cultural and natural heritage can apply to the Heritage in Motion office, based in The Hague, The Netherlands. Applications will also be accepted from cultural organisations, institutions related to heritage, and museums. An application form can be completed online (www.heritageinmotin.eu). The closing date for applications is 1 APRIL 2013.

A Selection Committee will choose the nominees in various categories, and a jury will decide on the final winners in each category. During the final evening of the Heritage in Motion Festival, the winners of the Awards will be announced by the jury and presentations will be made. On the same evening the Public Choice Award will also be presented. The public will be invited to vote on-line for their preferred winner among all nominees. Throughout the year the applications, including the nominees and Award winners, will be available for viewing and playing on the Heritage in Motion website.