The fifth in-person meeting of the partners of the Heritage Game project took place on the premises of the Department of Geography of the Faculty of Education of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. The meeting took place in a friendly and inspiring atmosphere that supported both professional cooperation and intercultural exchange.
The first day, Monday, September 8, was dedicated to the arrival of the participants and an informal welcome.
On Tuesday, September 9, an intensive work program took place in the premises of the Department of Geography of the Faculty of Education of the University of South Bohemia and at the same time online via MS Teams environment for project members who could not be present in person. After the initial welcome, which was given by the Rector of the University of South Bohemia, prof. Ing. Pavel Kozák, Ph.D. and the Vice-Dean for International Relations of the Faculty of Education of the University of South Bohemia, Assoc. Prof. RNDr. Stanislav Kraft, Ph.D., this was followed by a presentation and discussion of individual work packages. Within WP1, issues of project management, coordination of activities and planning of further steps were addressed. WP5 focused on dissemination - partners shared experiences with project promotion and proposed new strategies for its dissemination, and plans for a final conference in 2026 were addressed. WP3 presented progress in creating a methodological manual, which will serve as a practical tool for using the project's outputs. The greatest attention was paid to WP4, i.e. the development of the digital application Heritage Game. Technical aspects, content structure and ease of use were discussed. The work blocks were interspersed with refreshment breaks, which provided space for informal discussions. The day ended with a joint working dinner.
Wednesday, September 10, was dedicated to exploring the cultural wealth of the South Bohemian region. This included an excursion to Český Krumlov and Hluboká nad Vltavou. The program began with a visit to a graphite mine, where participants put on work clothes and went underground - the experience was authentic and very engaging. This was followed by a tour of the Madeta cheese cellars combined with lunch, which offered an interesting perspective on the connection between tradition and modern production. The afternoon belonged to the Baroque theater, whose technical solution and historical atmosphere, complemented by a professional and engaging explanation by Mgr. Martin Voříšek, Ph.D., head of the Department of Music Education at the Faculty of Education of the University of South Bohemia, left a strong impression. In the evening, the participants visited the brewery in Hluboká nad Vltavou, where a professional lecture on the history of brewing in our country and around the world was held, followed by a demonstration of beer production directly on the premises of the brewery itself. The whole day was very inspiring and contributed to a deeper understanding of the importance of cultural heritage for education and promotion of the region.
Thursday, September 11, was reserved for completing the tasks in progress within WP1, WP4 and WP5. Individual and group consultations, refining the outputs and preparation for the final phase of the project took place. The atmosphere was focused, but at the same time friendly and creative. The participants appreciated the opportunity to work in a calm environment and at the same time reflect on the progress made so far.
Friday, September 12, was reserved for the departure of the participants. The meeting was evaluated very positively - both professionally and organizationally. České Budějovice offered an ideal environment for work and inspiration. The participants appreciated the quality organization, the hospitality of the host institution and the rich program. The meeting included targeted consultations with key representatives of the KreativEU alliance, which contributed to strengthening mutual solidarity and deepening international cooperation. The Heritage Game project thus continues to develop the principles of innovation, creativity and respect for European cultural heritage, thus confirming its strategic role within KreativEU.
The Heritage Game project (project no. 2023-1-PT01-KA220-HED-000154261 “A gamification model for community-based heritage work”), co-financed by the Erasmus+ programme, is part of the European university alliance KreativEU, which brings together universities from several European countries. The aim of the project is to use gamification as a tool for the protection and promotion of cultural heritage, especially in sparsely populated areas. The universities involved in the Heritage Game project are the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice (Czech Republic), the University of Trnava in Trnava (Slovakia), Valahia University of Târgoviște (Romania), Instituto Politécnico de Tomar (Portugal) – project coordinator, Università di Camerino (Italy), D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics (TAE) (Bulgaria) and Adana Alparslan Türkeş Science and Technology University (ATU) (Turkey).
The entire event was implemented under the leadership of members of the Department of Geography of the Faculty of Education of the University of South Bohemia involved in the Heritage Game project: Mgr. Vojtěch Blažek, Ph.D., Mgr. Petra Karvánková, Ph.D., doc. Mgr. Jiří Rypl, Ph.D.
Many thanks also go to the assistant of the Department of Geography, Hana Malíková, and the doctoral student, Mgr. Michal Staněk, for their organizational assistance.
