The British Council has published a new milestone report, ‘Digital Cultural Heritage: Imagination, innovation and opportunity.’  

Developed through collaboration with the Cultural Protection Fund (CPF) community, the report draws insights from 25 cultural heritage practitioners in Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya and Iraq. It reflects on the growing global ecosystem of cultural heritage, advocates using technology to reimagine what heritage is, who it belongs to and how we may preserve it for future generations.  

The report offers deep dives into nine technologies and cutting-edge case studies. Each highlight the imaginative technical solutions practitioners deploy to safeguard rich histories, especially against the challenging backdrop of conflict and climate change. 

However, the report warns that while technology can democratise tools, create new spaces, and dismantle barriers, it can also reinforce biases, perpetuate inequalities, and have damaging environmental consequences.  

'Learning from the Cultural Protection Fund community has shown that technology should not only serve cultural heritage but also be shaped by it. When cultural knowledge and community values inform the design of technologies, they become more representative, resilient, and human-centric. This makes digital cultural heritage not only a means of preserving the past but shaping the future too.'

Hannah Andrews – Director, Digital Innovation (Arts)

To emphasise the need for sustained investment, the report makes five key recommendations surrounding infrastructure, data collection, data stewardship, audience engagement and long term maintenance. Realising these recommendations will ensure technological foundations are fair, adaptable and sustainable for future generations.  

For the full report, including executive summaries in Arabic, Swahili and Amharic, click here