Abstract
For five centuries Groningen has been connected to the Atlantic World. Scholars have examined aspects of this relationship, but Groningen's place in this larger pattern of interactions has been little studied and less understood. In our consortium we will identify, map, and demonstrate these connections using new technology and we will use this technology to investigate how this history and cultural heritage are perceived by a broad audience. In our consortium specialists in Atlantic Studies from the University of Groningen collaborate with Knowlogy, a software design firm based in Groningen. We plan to develop an application ("Amerigo") that would enable users to explore these relationships within the real space of the city and the virtual space of a knowledge network. A wide section of society including tourists, residents, family historians, students, educators, and researchers would gain the ability to reimagine and reconstruct the city's past and present by using Amerigo on their smartphones, tablets or PCs. Within the partnership we offer our talents in historical and literary analysis and archival research while gaining new knowledge, insights into public engagement with heritage, and experience with digital methods. Knowlogy contribute their skills in digital storytelling and application design while acquiring transferable technology, insight into interactions with the application, and experience employing historical materials. Together, our goal would be to produce a new model for cultural heritage: a marketable digital platform that fosters imaginative exploration while also expanding the boundaries of research in the humanities by incorporating the "user experience" into its study.