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Commons:UK Heritage 3D Data at Risk

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UK Heritage 3D Data at Risk—Developing a Strategy for Long Term Access & Storage.

What is this project about?

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🤞 This project is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with thanks to National Lottery players.

The aim of this project is to safeguard access to the UK’s digital 3D heritage at risk through over-reliance on commercial platforms for sustainable long term storage and dissemination. The project will develop practical guidance for UK heritage organisations of all sizes on best practice related to these themes.

To achieve this, we will engage a diverse range of UK stakeholders in research to identify organisational and national needs related to digital 3D heritage content. Through this work, we hope to identify sustainable and FAIR solutions to preserve and provide access to the UK’s 3D heritage data.

We want to understand what kind of sustainable infrastructure, platforms, and user experiences will best serve heritage professionals producing and working with 3D data, as well as benefit audiences seeking to explore, experience, and re-use that data.

Our ultimate goal is to ensure that this valuable cultural and academic resource remains accessible to researchers, educators, and the public both in the UK and internationally.

The legacy of this project will be a clear roadmap toward sustainable access to the UK’s 3D heritage data, safeguarding it for future generations. These outputs will be vital not only for the UK heritage sector, but will also be of immense value to the global cultural heritage community.

Why is this project important?

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Taking advantage of the advent of more affordable and accessible 3D digitisation technologies and software over the last decade, the UK heritage sector is producing more and more 3D content as part of documentation, research, and outreach projects. This digitisation boom has led to the generation of unique and historically significant 3D data sets, often many gigabytes in size.

Simultaneously, UK national infrastructure for both the long term sustainable storage of this data AND widespread discovery and dissemination of this culturally and historically valuable resource has lagged behind.

Consequently, many cultural organisations—both national and local—have taken advantage of often free-to-start commercial and proprietary platforms to make their 3D data available to both professional and general audiences. While the use of such easy to use and feature rich tools has enabled many organisations to explore use cases and build audiences for cultural heritage 3D, a divergence in priorities between commercial platforms and the needs of the heritage community is in evidence.

To ensure that the UK’s 3D heritage data remains accessible, this project seeks to assess the needs of the UK heritage community and its audiences and develop suggestions for practical, sustainable ways to work with heritage 3D data in the future.

What activities will the project undertake?

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The core of the project is user research: we will undertake a consultation with at least 50 stakeholders across the UK who are working with digital 3D heritage data to understand how they are currently working with 3D heritage data and the challenges they experience in trying to achieve sustainable access to for audiences.

We will engage stakeholders through:

  • In-person and virtual interviews.
  • Online workshops.
  • Collaborative documents.
  • A comprehensive review of

To help guide the whole process, we have convened a steering group of experts related to the many aspects of UK 3D heritage to provide guidance throughout the project.

What will the outputs of the project be?

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The main output of the project will be an open access report of consultation findings. This will include guidance for 3D data best practice and offer recommendations for solutions and future approaches to the issues identified.

What is the intended outcome of the project?

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The activities of this project are designed to not only gather data, but to also create community and consensus around the issues at stake. Beyond the project’s core activities we hope to help connect heritage professionals with peers who are tackling the same issues to share ideas and best practice.

The final report is intended to inform positive change in how heritage organisations approach the task of 3D digitisation and data dissemination, as well as highlight the needs of this community to policy makers and commercial companies alike.

Who will be working on the project?

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The project is being delivered by Richard Nevell and George Colbourn from Wikimedia UK in partnership with UK 3D heritage expert Thomas Flynn.

When will the project take place?

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The project is planned to run between November 2025 and June 2026.

Project Steering Group

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To help guide the project, we are convening a group of UK experts working in 3D digitisation and related fields:

  • Sophia Mirashrafi, Senior Digital Innovation Officer at Historic Environment Scotland
  • Abira Hussein, Researcher and Curator specialising in Somali heritage
  • Melissa Terras, Professor of Digital Cultural Heritage, University of Edinburgh
  • Sally Al-Haq, Co-lead of The Liberatory Archives, Whose Knowledge?
  • Evelyn Curl, Data Standards Officer for the Heritage Science Data Service (HSDS)
  • Daniel Pett, Archaeologist Technologist
  • Richard Palmer, Tech Lead in Digital Media at the Victoria & Albert Museum

This group will support the project with:

  • Strategic Direction: Guide the project towards its overarching goals and ensure it aligns with heritage sector stakeholder needs.
  • Monitoring & Oversight: Track project progress against milestones, reviewing reports, and ensure overall adherence to the project plan.
  • Stakeholder Management: Help ensure effective communication and collaboration among stakeholders.
  • Ethical & Regulatory Compliance: Ensure that the project meets all necessary ethical approvals and operates in line with relevant guidelines.

Made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund

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UK Heritage 3D Data at Risk: Developing a Strategy for Long Term Access & Storage is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to undertake the urgent user research that is the core of the project, as well as offer financial aid to stakeholder participants to bolster more equitable participation of heritage professionals.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.

Learn more at heritagefund.org.uk

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