New Digital Project Showcases Cultural Heritage in Gran Canaria
The ‘Voices and Sounds of the Sacred Mountains of Gran Canaria’ project will be the first initiative in Spain dedicated to promoting cultural heritage, integrated into a digital platform designed to highlight initiatives from non-profit organisations.
Global Geolocation Tool
This project will host all its content on the global geolocation tool, Google Earth Outreach. This platform, developed by the tech giant, is specifically designed to store and disseminate scientific, educational, outreach, or cultural content from non-profit entities.
As such, the sounds submitted and geolocated by local residents can be accompanied by videos, photographs, articles, local press reports, or bibliographies, among other materials. This will create a true virtual library focused on the cultural landscape of the Gran Canaria Biosphere Reserve and its inhabitants.
Strategic Objectives
A key strategic focus of this project, which is funded by the Gran Canaria World Heritage and Biosphere Reserve Institute, involves showcasing the work of associations and groups within civil society operating in the area.
The inclusion of ‘Voices and Sounds of the Sacred Mountains of Gran Canaria’ on Google’s interactive map (the first in Spain to do so) opens the door to reaching millions of audiences, thanks to the global nature of the tool and the power of its digital resources.
Community Involvement
It is essential to highlight that all work related to documentation, production, recording, and post-production stems from the 26 associations that comprise the Union of Associations of the Gran Canaria Biosphere Reserve. With the support of technical personnel, it will primarily be the local residents of the cultural landscape who will carry out the majority of the research, pre-production, and production of materials.
Cultural Landscape Understanding
For the Union of Associations of the Gran Canaria Biosphere Reserve, it is crucial that the local population comprehends the cultural landscape nature of the territory. Gran Canaria is a highly anthropised space, and its landscape cannot be understood without recognising the contributions made by humans over more than two millennia. ‘Voices and Sounds of the Sacred Mountains of Gran Canaria’ emphasises this concept of cultural landscape that, as defined by UNESCO’s World Heritage Institute, is a complex heritage object with diverse values resulting from the interplay of physical, ecological, and human factors.
In this context, agricultural, livestock, and fishing activities give meaning to the cultural character of the territory. This project aims to ensure that the general populace appreciates the human aspect of the landscape and understands the necessity of maintaining the practices and customs that have shaped it over centuries.
