CHORAL – Cultural Heritage fOR AlL
Supported through Interreg Italia–Malta, CHORAL is a cross-border initiative focused on enhancing the accessibility of cultural heritage through green mobility and cutting-edge digital solutions. Spanning two years from January 2025, the project is led by Heritage Malta in close partnership with key institutions from Malta and Palermo. CHORAL reflects the EU’s commitment to fostering regional cooperation, environmental sustainability, and inclusive access to cultural heritage across the Mediterranean.
The project addresses both physical and digital barriers to access, with Heritage Malta spearheading efforts in Malta through the digitisation of the archaeological site of Ta’ Kaċċatura in Birżebbuġa. Using advanced tools such as LiDAR, drone and terrestrial photogrammetry, and 360-degree videography, the site will be recorded in high resolution to create a digital twin. This will serve multiple functions: supporting conservation strategies, facilitating public education, and enabling broader engagement through an online platform. Furthermore, the resulting data will inform the development of a Heritage Building Information Modelling (HBIM) system to assist long-term site management and heritage communication.
In parallel, Heritage Malta is producing a fully immersive 360-degree virtual reality tour of the historic Palazzina Cinese. With the support of Italian partners providing logistics and research assistance, this VR experience will be integrated into public outreach events, allowing audiences to explore the interior of this culturally significant site virtually.
To further support sustainable cultural access, the University of Malta will install five interactive digital totems at key locations across Malta. These will promote green mobility solutions while providing visitors with contextual wayfinding tools and heritage information, bridging the gap between physical exploration and digital navigation.
Project CHORAL is the first initiative of its kind to tackle environmental sustainability, digital transformation, and long-term accessibility in the context of cultural heritage in the Malta–Palermo region. By fostering collaboration and improving governance frameworks, CHORAL is setting a new standard for how we preserve, present, and engage with our shared cultural legacy truly making Cultural Heritage fOR AlL.
