On October 10, 2025, the historic Collegium Novum of the Jagiellonian University became a hub for innovation and dialogue during the seminar “Virtual Worlds of Culture”, hosted in Krakow, Poland. This event brought together experts, creators, and stakeholders to explore the responsible and creative transfer of cultural heritage into virtual environments. Organized as part of the IMPULSE project (Horizon Europe), the seminar fostered intensive discussions on the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation in culture.
In the opening session, Dr. Żaneta Żegleń (Jagiellonian University) introduced the project and the main theme of the meeting. Then, Dr. Joanna Ślaga, Dr. Marek Deja, Dr. Monika Krakowska, and Dr. Monika Hapek, presented the project’s progress — addressing legal and standardization issues, cooperation with stakeholders, and research on XR creators and audiences.
In the panel discussion “Digital Narratives: Who Is Digital Memory For?”, speakers Magdalena Banaszkiewicz, PhD, Łukasz Gaweł, PhD, Prof. ASP Lech Polcyn, and Dr. Marta Raczek-Karcz reflected on the role and responsibility of digital memory. The “Good Practices” session featured presentations from the Monument Inventory Laboratory (John Paul II University in Krakow), the Heriforge project (PCSS), and the CAPHE project.
The day culminated in the debate “Culture in the Virtual World: Challenges and Opportunities for Institutions and Artists”, moderated by Dr. Joanna Ślaga, with contributions from Anna Bas (J. Słowacki Theatre), Krzysztof Garbaczewski, Kamil Kuitkowski (Cricoteka), Małgorzata Steciak (CinematicVR), and Tomasz Włodarski (Małopolska Institute of Culture). Discussions covered models of cooperation, ethical and legal frameworks, accessibility, education, financing, archiving, and interoperability standards for XR projects.
The event concluded with an electronic concert with mapping by the Outpost collective — a creative reflection of the day’s themes.
