IartNET

An international platform for artistic practice/research and cultural heritage at italian higher arts education institutions

Project Coordinator: Nicoletta Leonardi

Lead Institution

• Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera – Milano

Partners

• Università degli studi di Milano
• Conservatorio di Musica ‘Luca Marenzio’ di Brescia
• Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma
• Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara
• Fondazione Accademia d’arti e mestieri dello spettacolo Teatro alla Scala
• Accademia di Belle Arti di Catania

IartNET is aimed at enhancing the internationalization of Italian higher arts and music education institutions (AFAM) by promoting transnational cooperation through the implementation of actions built upon connectedness, experimentation, innovation, and diversity. IartNET is a system project based on networking and collaboration, with the goal of producing benefits for all AFAM institutions.

IartNET goals are:

• Boosting the digital accessibility of AFAM’s current practice-led and artistic research, as well as its cultural heritage, thus 1) allowing access to so far scarcely accessible materials both nationally and internationally, 2) reclaiming the role of AFAM institutions within a long history and tradition of Italian artistic excellence in all clusters, 3) generating trans- disciplinary and cross sector dialogues between the present and the past, and among different typologies of heritage and contemporary artistic outputs, as resources for creating a sense of community, fostering innovation, and imagining futures.
• Promoting AFAM institutions’ international attractiveness, and thus their international role and relations, via the implementation of a network of Italian and foreign higher arts and music education institution willing to share 1) data about artistic practice/research and cultural heritage, 2) know-how on processes and activities of internationalization compliant with EU policies.
• Fostering the establishment of research institutes at AFAM institutions via the implementation of an international hub in Italy aimed at 1) forming a research community of supervisors and experts; 2) designing innovative third-cycle degrees within the framework of the Bologna Process.

IartNET’s deliverables are:

• An interoperable database and a web portal in English that will collect, preserve, and make available to users open access content on cultural heritage and current educational, artistic, and research projects -with a focus on students and alumni, at Italian higher arts and music education institutions. The database will be implemented according to the guidelines and policies of the Italian Digital Library and Europeana, in order to be able to share data with both.
• An international network of higher arts education institutions aimed at reinforcing AFAM institutions networking abilities and filling the general lack of know-how on internationalization policies, strategies and best practices within Italian art academies and conservatories by creating opportunities for training, professional development, exchange, and discussion with peer institutions in other countries.
• An international hub for artistic research providing a much-needed space in Italy for the establishment of a research community capable of developing international, interdisciplinary, and inter institutional artistic research projects, master, and doctoral programs with a focus on innovation and the cultural and creative industries sector, as well as evaluations and assessments of artistic research, with focus on standardized descriptors and indicators of outputs.

These three objectives aim at filling structural shortcomings within AFAM institutions: the lack of content in English available to the public; the absence of courses taught in English, and the extreme scarcity of graduate and doctoral programs. As such, their outcomes will result in an enhancement of AFAM institutions’ international visibility; an improvement of the quality of art education in Italy for both international and domestic students; an increase in AFAM institutions’ international attractiveness.

The interoperable database will use the most up-to-date digital tools in the humanities, offering users access in English to thus far mostly inaccessible data pertaining to Italian artistic culture. 

The international network and research hub fosters collaboration among higher arts education institutions, facilitating the establishment of joint international master and doctoral degree programs in artistic research pursuing cross-sectoral and cross- disciplinary approaches.

The project will significantly contribute to the digital transition.