Much of the European cultural heritage is embedded in rural areas and remote regions, often closely linked with the natural environment. As the culture sector evolves and changes due to digitization, so do the skills required of individuals active in the sector. These changes can only be met by relevant and demand-sensitive educational offers. The current paper presents the main outcomes achieved so far in the framework of the Erasmus+ Project VAL.oR “Tacit knowledge emerging for a sustainable valorization of the cultural heritage in rural and peripheral communities” aiming to propose new approach supporting and sustaining local and regional cultural heritage and the economic benefits for communities that result from well managed and organized festivals and events.

The digitization of the intangible cultural heritage covers a much wider range of knowledge, digitization techniques, processing of digital resources, coding and storage. Therefore, it requires extension of the standard ontology for digitalization of cultural heritage and the ways of interaction with the data. An entry for the intangible cultural heritage may be a custom, craft, event, sport or art passed down through the generations. It is complex and combines many elements. The DigiCult project helps us develop an extended model that fits the process of ICH digitalization Europe wide.

Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) is a term invented to represent living practices, representations, expressions, skills and knowledge that communities, groups and individuals recognize as distinct but important aspects of identity. The safeguarding of ICH has become a topic of international concern primarily through the work of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) (UNESCO, 2018). Digital technologies and the internet bring unprecedented opportunities to present and preserve cultural assets globally and from a long-term perspective. The use of new technologies in the preservation and transmission of intangible heritage imposes urgent and significant changes in the museum specialists' competency matrix. The paper presents the main results from research conducted within the scope of the international project DigiCult in four European countries, aiming to identify the main gaps and constraints regarding the active inclusion of museum professionals in the ICH digital presentation and safeguarding processes.