My name is Gabrielle, I am from France, and for the past 2 months I have been based in Palermo to take part in the Interreg Italy-Malta CHORAL (Cultural Heritage for All) project, as an IVY Project Partner. After graduating from a binational Master’s degree focused on Euro-Mediterranean relations, and having lived in both Malta and Italy, joining this cross-border initiative felt like a natural continuation of both my academic and personal journey.
CHORAL: Enhancing Cultural Heritage
The CHORAL project focuses on promoting cultural heritage while improving accessibility and digitalisation, bringing together partners from Sicily and Malta. The partnership combines complementary expertise: ARCES coordinates the project and facilitates cooperation among partners; Le Vie dei Tesori promotes heritage sites to wider audiences; Heritage Malta, the national agency responsible for museums and heritage sites, contributes its expertise in preservation and public engagement; while the University of Palermo and the University of Malta provide academic research and technological support.
The goal of CHORAL is to improve both physical and digital accessibility to cultural heritage sites in Palermo and Malta. Officially launched in March 2025 at the Rabat Catacombs in Malta, the project explores new ways of experiencing heritage through workshops, collaborative activities, and innovative tools. One of its key outcomes will be the creation of 3D reconstructions of cultural sites, available in open access on a dedicated digital platform. In addition, informational totems will be installed in Palermo and Malta to guide visitors and provide accessible content, while educational resources will make the experience engaging for different audiences.
These initiatives respond to a growing need for cultural heritage to move beyond traditional documentation of sites, buildings, and artefacts. By combining digital technologies with on-site interpretation, CHORAL seeks to create more inclusive and sustainable ways of discovering heritage.
My role as IVY Project Partner
Within ARCES, I support stakeholder coordination and contribute to several project activities, while learning from an experienced team in European project management. One of the most concrete tasks I have been involved in so far is linked to the accessibility of the Real Casina Cinese in Palermo, a unique royal residence located in the Parco della Favorita. As part of this work, in February we took part in activities to promote sustainable ways of accessing the site, encouraging visitors to use walking and cycling routes across Palermo.
Through this experience, I am also discovering how EU Cohesion Policy works in practice. Projects like CHORAL demonstrate how European cooperation programmes can directly support local communities, promote cultural heritage, and strengthen connections between neighbouring regions such as Sicily and Malta.
Personal and professional growth
Deeply attached to the region and its cultural diversity, this experience is both enriching and inspiring. My ambition is to continue contributing to cross-border initiatives that promote accessibility and empower younger generations to engage in cooperation settings. In this perspective, joining the CHORAL project and ARCES team in Palermo has been an important step for both my personal and professional development.
With a few more months ahead in my IVY experience, I look forward to continuing to learn from my colleagues and to seeing how the project evolves!
– Gabrielle, IVY Project Partner at Ente Morale Associazione A.R.C.E.S, for the Interreg Italy-Malta project CHORAL – Cultural Heritage fOR AlL
