The CIE – Centre for International Heritage Activities is an independent organization that supports professionals, researchers, and communities working in the field of cultural heritage. Based in the Netherlands, and active around the globe, CIE initiates, develops and coordinates international projects, workshops, and exchanges that promote community-driven, inclusive, sustainable, and approaches to heritage preservation and storytelling.

The Digital Heritage Futures Webinar is part of CIE’s ongoing efforts to foster dialogue and collaboration around emerging technologies in heritage documentation and interpretation. The event connects international partners from academia, museums, and creative practice to discuss how digital tools can support more inclusive and participatory approaches to heritage and heritage preservation. The session will be moderated by Alia Yunis at the Media-Production Studio of the College of Architecture Art and Design (CAAD) at the AUS American University of Sharjah located in the United Arab Emirates, with a second moderator to be announced for the satellite event at FH Münster, Technology-Campus Steinfurt, Building E, room E-015, Germany.

This webinar brings together international experts and practitioners exploring how digital technologies are reshaping our understanding, preservation, and communication of cultural heritage. Hosted within the network of the CIE – Centre for International Heritage Activities, the event connects perspectives from academia, museums, and creative practice.

The session aims to create an open dialogue about how digital tools can serve as creative instruments for cultural continuity, connecting communities and histories across borders and media.

In alphabetical order:

Felix Beck (FH Münster, Creative Technologies Lab) is a designer and researcher whose work combines creative technologies, design methodologies, and cultural heritage studies. At FH Münster’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, he leads the Creative Technologies Lab, focusing on interdisciplinary design-based innovation. Beck will introduce the new Digital Heritage online platform and present recent projects that connect digital fabrication, storytelling, and regional heritage in collaborative research and teaching.

Zlatan Filipovic (American University of Sharjah, UAE) is an artist, designer, and educator working across media, film, and emerging technologies. His teaching and research focus on creative coding, digital image-making, and the intersections between art and computation. As professor of multimedia design at AUS, he leads experimental projects that investigate virtual and augmented reality as tools for exploring cultural heritage and spatial storytelling.

Angela Heinemann, director of the Sandstone Museum Havixbeck (Germany), is responsible for the curatorial and strategic development of one of Münsterland’s key regional museums. Under her leadership, the museum is undergoing a transformation that connects traditional collections with digital and participatory exhibition formats. Her work emphasizes accessibility, education, and the integration of local narratives into broader cultural and technological contexts.

Ralph Vituccio (Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh) is a filmmaker, educator, and media artist whose work bridges documentary, animation, and interactive storytelling. His films often address issues of social justice, technology, and human experience, and have been screened at major international festivals. At Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Art and Entertainment Technology Center, he teaches courses in visual storytelling and digital media production. Vituccio’s current projects explore how immersive and participatory media can be used to preserve personal and collective memory.

Victor Waal is a digital media professional and co-founder of SpotAR, a company specializing in immersive technologies and augmented reality experiences. His work focuses on bridging technology, cultural heritage, and participatory storytelling. Through SpotAR, he develops innovative tools for documenting, visualizing, and sharing heritage sites and community narratives in new and engaging ways.

Alia Yunis (Moderator of satellite event at AUS), visiting associate professor of film and heritage studies at NYU Abu Dhabi, works within the intersecting fields of media, environment and transoceanic heritage. A writer, filmmaker, journalist, her work has been translated into 10 languages. She recently co-edited, Heritage Futures: Stories in the Global Heritage Industry, with Robert Parthesius and Niccolò CappallettodRoutledge (2025). Her feature documentary, The Golden Harvest, continues to play in festivals and venues around the world. The Golden Harvest has led to Tree Routed, an interactive film platform globally connecting personal heritage stories about trees. She co-edited the book Re-Orienting the Middle East: Film and Digital Media Where the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean Meet (Indiana University Press, 2024). In 2010, she co-founded the Zayed University Middle East Film Festival (ZUMEFF), now the longest-running film festival in the Gulf.