Athens Spring School “Audio Visual Methods in Collaborative Archaeology: Exploring the Politics of Heritage” – 20-28 March 2026
Date: 20-28 March 2026
Location: The Netherlands Institute at Athens (NIA)
Credits: 5 ECTS
About the course
The Spring School is addressed to students in archaeology and heritage studies, BA (last year), Master, Research Masters, & PhD and is organized in collaboration with the Faculty of Archaeology of Leiden University.
Audio-visual applications are nowadays broadly used in heritage and museum studies, fostering communication between researchers and visitors as well as the promotion of heritage sites and museum collections. Furthermore, as digital media has become increasingly affordable and accessible, visual representation is expanding across several dimensions in archaeology, becoming a prominent tool of analysis and collaboration within the discipline.
By discussing the available methodological tools and critically reflecting on their application, this intensive course focuses on how such tools can be incorporated ethically into collaborative archaeological research. For this, the program includes a basic introductory course on audio-visual methods in one of the most challenging urban landscapes of Europe, where archaeology and the politics of heritage management intersect in unique ways.
During this course, participants will collaboratively produce short films featuring alternative archaeological narratives about the many relationships between the people, archaeological materiality, and discourse. Only a limited number of successful videos will be given the permission by the Institute to be uploaded on social media and to be presented on various venues after the school. Dedication to this course is full time during the stay in Athens.
Structure of the course
Between March 20th and 28th, 2026 the seminars will run daily at the NIA, located in the heart of Athens. The program will feature field research (film & photography production) in selected locations throughout the city. The seminar will focus on providing the general theoretical context in relation to audio-visual methodologies and contemporary approaches to field research in urban settings. During the course, the students will be assigned with specific topics to conduct their research and produce video and sound recordings with their own smart phones, or for more experienced users the Institute’s equipment will be provided. In preparation for the seminar, all students are expected to have read the mandatory literature before arrival in Greece.
For more detailed information, please visit the NIA website here.
Scholarships
A limited number of scholarships covering the total cost of the course (including accommodation) is available for Archon members only. To apply for a scholarship, please fill out your online course application at the NIA website and then email Dr. Natalia Donner at n.r.donner@hum.leidenuniv.nl with a short motivation letter specifying how this course integrates in your career path before Friday, January 30th at 17:00 (CEST). If you are eligible to receive funding from other sources (such as your school, research project, or other types of grants), please do not apply for our scholarships, which are limited and preferably will benefit students who do not have any alternative funding options.
About credits
Active participation in the daily educational activities and completion of all related assignments will result in the awaring of 5 ECTS. Assignments will be communicated and graded by the course organisers. To register the obtained ECTS with ARCHON, students will have to provide a certificate of completion provided by the NIA to secretary@archonline.nl.
