Bringing Heritage to Life: Reliving Southampton's Medieval Past through digital storytelling

Southampton's Old Town is a centre of history and heritage, boasting impressive ancient monuments including the Bargate, the iconic Tudor House, medieval town walls, hidden wine vaults, and countless individual objects preserved within the Designated Museum Collections of Southampton. Despite these legacies of the city’s heritage being invaluable resources, offering insights into its rich multi-ethnic history, some parts of Southampton remain largely inaccessible to the general public due to numerous barriers, including linguistic, cultural, geographic, mobile, and financial, as well as preservation needs, all of which impose restrictions. In response, this transformative project, in collaboration with Southampton City Council (SCC) Heritage and Museum Collections, proposes to preserve and showcase Southampton's historical heritage, making it accessible to both locals and international visitors through digital narratives and Augmented Reality (AR) experiences.

Pilot studies at events like the Southampton Science and Engineering Festival and National Heritage Open Days in 2023 have highlighted the demand for an increased online presence of Southampton's heritage. Thus, the project's three-fold objectives involve organizing knowledge exchange and capacity-building workshops on digital recording and data visualization techniques, enhancing the local Historic Environment Record (HER) with 3D recorded models of historic monuments, and developing an Augmented Reality (webAR) experience to bring Southampton's stories to life. These efforts aim to strengthen collaboration, contribute meaningfully to the local community, and position Southampton's rich history as an integral part of its contemporary identity.