by Darius Bujokas, Country Manager for Lithuania
The “eCulture” project (full title “eCulture” platform (a unified portal for digitised and digital cultural and audio-visual content, e-services and dissemination”) is funded by the European Union (NextGenerationEU) and the economic recovery and resilience plan “Next Generation Lithuania”. The project value is EUR 23.8 million.
Its objective is to increase accessibility and re-use of culture by creating a common digital data platform for cultural institutions in Lithuania through the implementation of integrated organisational and technological solutions. The project will be completed by the end of April 2026.
The problems addressed by the project
The main problem the project is solving is the low level of digitisation of culture and the insufficient or unappealing accessibility of digital/digitised cultural content in Lithuania. This problem can be divided into smaller sub-problems:
- lack of equitable access to quality, professional and diverse cultural services limits people’s participation in cultural life, and the forms of expression and means of dissemination of cultural content do not meet the needs and expectations of individual users and social groups;
- limitations in the technical capacity of the information systems and databases of cultural institutions, their lack of organisational, technical and semantic interoperability, data fragmentation, limited access to information and data sets, incompatibility and duplication of e-services offered;
- insufficient knowledge, competencies and skills of cultural resource managers in dealing with copyright laws and associations of collective administration representing copyright and neighbouring rights concerning the online publication and (re)use of cultural resources;
- limited accessibility, lack of digital solutions and adapted content for people with disabilities;
- lack of innovative and differentiated cultural content/products for target groups (e.g. children, elderly (65+));
- the risk of information becoming unreadable and inaccessible to users grows as technology ages.
Planned results and indicators
The main goal of the “eCulture” project is the establishment of a single portal for digitised and digitalised cultural content, e-services and dissemination. Six information systems/databases of Lithuanian cultural institutions will be adapted to work with the “eCulture” platform: Lithuanian Integrated Library Information System; E-Cinema information system; Lithuanian Integral Museum Information System, information system of the Lithuanian National Centre for Culture, Electronic Archive Information System, Modernised archive of Musical Folklore (the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre Research Centre). More than 12 contracts (agreements) will be signed and implemented with owners of digital and digitised cultural resources to open up and make them accessible to users. 50 immovable cultural heritage objects (buildings) with monument status will be digitised in 3D format. It is planned, that the share of digitised and publicly available digital content will significantly increase to create products and services that meet the needs of today’s consumers.
Project developer - Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania
Project partners
Lithuanian National Museum of Art
The Office of the Chief Archivist of Lithuania
Department of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture
Lithuanian Audiosensory Library
Lithuanian National Radio and Television
Lithuanian Central State Archives
Lithuanian Film Centre under the Ministry of Culture
Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society
National Commission for Cultural Heritage
The Secretariat of the Lithuanian National Commission for UNESCO
Lithuanian Dance Information Centre
National Kaunas Drama Theatre
Lithuanian National Centre for Culture
Lithuanian Institute of Literature and Folklore
NGO “Meno avilys”
Contemporary Art Centre
Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre
Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre
“Vilnius” State Choir