HEFT: Heritage for the Future

HEFT: Heritage for the future – expanding the IX ecosystem for embodied cultural experiences HEFT aims to strengthen and develop the IX field by bridging systemic challenges - limitations in scalability, inaccessible public spaces, low discoverability - through artistic research. The consortium focuses on developing artistic methodologies that embrace the embodied qualities of IX, promote collective engagement and enable scalable preservation and version management (heritage) for long-term access. The project operationalises five core objectives ('reimagine', 'unite', 'sustain', 'empower' and 'safeguard'). The consortium's key contribution is generating fundamental, sector-wide and transferable knowledge and tools. The activity programme is carried out through five interconnected work packages, with emphasis on artistic research through design using IX prototypes from makers. Key outcomes include the framework for embodied design methods, toolkits, guidelines and recommendations for policy and international support. The efforts culminate in an international conference and the integration of results into educational programmes. A sustainability plan ensures long-term impact and application of the results.