I shall use this editorial to express my mixed feelings about the COVID-19 pandemic that affected our lives strongly, personally and professionally, in very different ways for over two years. Going back to our schools, colleges and universities, without even wearing facemasks, sometimes feel a bit unfamiliar. This unfamiliarity also touches upon the way we think and act in our daily work. We are virtually standing at a crossroads: are we returning to our previous routines or moving ahead by incorporating our new pandemic-related experiences into our routines?
In view of the 75th commemoration of the liberation of World War II, Visit Brabant asked BUas to connect the main heritage locations in the province through storytelling in order to attract more visitors.In 2015, we developed a narrative concept entitled “Crossroads. Life changing stories 40-45”. In 2016, we developed a brand guide which explains storytelling guidelines. In collaboration with Brabant Heritage and Brabant Remembers, in 2017-208, 15 meetings were organized all over the province to collect personal WWII narratives. From over 600 narratives, together with a group of historians, we selected 75 narratives. Under our guidance, these 75 narratives have been rewritten into Crossroads stories by some 20 different authors. Brabant Remembers has launched a marketing campaign and (digital and physical) experiences based on these stories. The aim is to touch visitors and local people emotionally with personal stories from the past, and to offer new ways of interacting with these stories, especially for young people.WhenThe project has been running since 2015. We currently play an advisory role in the development of the Brabant Remembers app (for example augmented reality videos), and in physical products such as the Dilemma Maze and the Stilllevens of Studio Verdult.Partners: Visit Brabant, Brabant Remembers, Erfgoed Brabant, Stichting Crossroads