Digital Heritage Narrative: Principles and Practice. The Case of the UNESCO-Listed Archaeological Site of Philippi, Greece

With stories being fundamental to human nature, digital storytelling is the ideal space to incorporate the most diverse media in support of the stories. Under the umbrella of the EU funded project BSB/831/HERiPRENEURSHIP “Establishing long-lasting partnerships to upgrade heritage-based offers and create new investment opportunities in tourism and the cultural and creative industries”, a new digital storytelling pattern has been introduced for the UNESCO-listed archaeological site of Philippi, Greece. The main aim is to elicit cognitive-emotional experiences at places of cultural significance by effectively communicating cultural values to non-captive audiences. A multimedia eBook, Birthplace of the Empire, strives to weave a cohesive digital cultural heritage narrative for non-captive audiences focusing on the cognitive-emotional aspect and by exploiting the powers of the Cultural and Creative Industries to support interactivity with e-readers and onsite visitors. We argue that (a) by relying on the socio-historical content to deliver the sense of the place, (b) by creating the unexpected art momentum in the digital form, and (c) by managing cognitive loads to facilitate perception and understanding, a new digital artwork is created, where the audience is inspired to engage in critical thinking and replace gazing with participatory practices in the cultural space. The provision of novelty, variation, surprise, and exploration ensures allows a multicultural and multigenerational audience to discover site values and assuming different hero roles within the realm of Graeco-Roman and Christian Philippi.