Open Heritage: Increased public accessibility to multi-ethnic heritage values in Astra Museum

Open Heritage is a project implemented by ASTRA Museum in partnership with the Museum of South Trøndelag, Norway. The main outcome of the project consists of ethnic minorities’ heritage safeguarded, documented, promoted and made publicly accessible. The Project is promoting the concept of living museum, acting as a platform connecting the public and the ancient cultures. The buildings recovered and restored are open for visiting as living spaces featuring characteristics of ancient ways of living and allowing visitors to compare modern living conditions with ancient ones. The visitors can touch the artifacts, taste the ancient and ethnic cuisine, hear old music and learn how to use old tools. Ancient dishes can be rediscovered by the public, the old recipes are becoming ready for reinterpretation. The ancient music can influence present music and ancient dances can influence present choreographs. Also, old living spaces, old materials and old tools can influence present architects, interior designers. The traditions are experiencing a new life by stepping outside the memory of old people and outside of museums shelves. The concept can be summarized as “changing museums–changing communities–changing traditions”. The Museum is changing the old paradigm of displaying items and information, the communities are changing by discovering that the tradition still matter, which can be empowering for them, and the traditions are changing by re-entering the main stream cultural exchange.