The sociopolitical role that everyday photography plays is significant but under-investigated. The PHOTODEMOS project conducted ethnographic research across nine countries to investigate similarities and differences in how ordinary people use cameras. Its findings identify how images both inspire and empower citizens to reimagine their circumstances and explore alternative futures.
The EU-funded TRACTION project has turned to co-creation and technology to make opera more inclusive, engaging a variety of communities from low-income neighbourhoods to prisons. The results are dynamic new operas that represent a more inclusive Europe.
The power of music to evoke strong emotions is known to anyone who hears it – but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Using sound manipulation tools that could elicit emotional responses, the EU-funded CREAM project has yielded insights into the brain. The work is also already inspiring novel clinical applications, from diagnosing speech problems to assessing brain surgery patients.
Art in the age of digital reproduction is under threat from inadequate contracts, piracy, generative AI and limits on access. In the EU-funded reCreating Europe project, researchers, libraries, copyright experts and other stakeholders sought ways to secure culturally diverse production of art, as well as inclusive access for consumers. The results can help Europe maintain its position as a cultural and economic powerhouse in the creative industries.
Synaesthesia, a neurological condition associated with anxiety disorders and autism, is difficult to identify in children. The EU-funded SYN-TOOLKIT project developed a new method to gather evidence of this perceptual phenomenon. The research has led to the development of a diagnostic smartphone app that could help these individuals access support.
Migrants and fragile communities often feel ostracised from the societies in which they live. The EU-funded MEMEX project helped communities at risk of sociocultural exclusion tell their stories through augmented reality. Similar projects could help social integration across Europe.
Many heritage crafts are at risk of being lost to time as they are practised less. To preserve them, the EU-funded Mingei project digitised their creative processes and the final products. As well as safeguarding European culture, the project could boost local tourism.
Scientists are working to understand novel fundamental properties of sound to improve acoustic technologies. The EU-funded PHONOMETA project turned to quantum physics to pioneer a new class of acoustic mesoscopic materials. The research could improve our understanding of sound and also lead to new camouflage technologies.
If data is the new gold, it’s only fair that its rightful owners can use and share it as they please. A novel Privacy-Enhanced Dashboard has been developed by the EU-funded PoSeID-on project. This will make it easier for EU citizens to exercise greater control over their personal data, across a wide range of public and private services.
The scientific community is expected to be prepared for and react promptly to emerging diseases by funding research and development. But to do so, it needs the unyielding and coordinated support from funding organisations. GloPID-R, an EU-funded global network, leads the way in helping ensure that the fight against all pandemics, present and future, is effective, rapid and leaves no one behind.
