Highlands and Islands museums to get global reach with app

Five museums across the region will be selected to share their collections, which can range from 100 to 1,000 objects with audiences across the world. 

XpoNorth Digital has partnered with Smartify, the world's most downloaded museum app with more than 3 million history and art loving users. 

Each successful museum will have their venue listed on the app and their collections digitised along with a five minute video telling their story, a multi-media tour and an e-shop. 

XpoNorth Digital, Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s (HIE's) mechanisms for specialist digital support for creative and heritage networks based across the Highlands and Islands, believes the partnership is a revolutionary one that has the power to elevate the global status of regional museums exponentially.

Nicola Henderson, XpoNorth specialist advisor for heritage said: “Smartify has over three million users across the world. That’s three million people who love museums; who love history, who love art. Helping Highland museums to get on the platform and tell their stories to a targeted audience of this size could be transformational.

“The Smartify platform gives museums the tools they need to build new experiences within their buildings for their physical visitors, while also helping them to reach out to new audiences. It will help to drive engagement with their collections and stories, while offering opportunities to generate revenue from a global audience. I’m really excited to work with museums of all sizes from anywhere in the Highlands or Islands to explore what this partnership could mean for their organisation.”

Christopher Bazley, Smartify’s head of global partnerships said: "Smartify's commitment to making world-class digital engagement affordable and accessible to as many museums as possible is part of our DNA. As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting the Highlands and Islands and its globally significant cultural heritage, we are delighted, honoured and excited to have the opportunity of working with XpoNorth on this important project.”

This opportunity is open to any museum based in the Highlands and Islands and participants will be selected through an open application process delivered in collaboration with XpoNorth, Smartify and stakeholder networks.

XpoNorth will be running two dedicated online information sessions in partnership with Smartify to allow museums to gain more information on the opportunity and ask any questions ahead of making an application. These will take place on October 19 and November 16. The application window will close at 5pm on Friday 2nd December.

Full details on this opportunity are available here.