Inspiring project

Put simply, this project offers a new way to learn about and engage with culture through play. EPIC-WE brings together young people, cultural institutions, and creative industries to explore what European cultural heritage means today, through hands-on practice. How? By designing video games. Over the course of three years, this EU-funded initiative encourages young people not just to consume culture, but to actively shape it—combining creativity, technology, and collective memory. Through game-making, the project turns interactive media into a tool for both artistic expression and civic participation, opening up new ways to imagine Europe’s cultural present and future

Through cultural game jams and collaborative creation processes across three European hubs, participants engage in experiential learning that transforms abstract heritage concepts into tangible, embodied experiences. Youth are integrated as research partners alongside cultural institutions and Creative and Cultural Industries (CCIs), exploring strategies to bridge generational divides in cultural transmission and to co-develop new models of cross-sector cultural innovation.

This model demonstrates transformative educational approaches through a focus on learner agency, where young people shape cultural discourse by imagining, creating, and exchanging values and narratives through game-making. By integrating research-creation methodologies, EPIC-WE challenges traditional models of cultural transmission and frames education as collaborative knowledge production. Its art-based, hands-on approach makes abstract cultural concepts accessible through creative engagement aligned with digital-native learning preferences.

Ultimately, EPIC-WE illustrates how digital creativity can act as a bridge between cultural heritage and contemporary expression. Its emphasis on creation over consumption offers a replicable methodology for educators seeking to implement critical pedagogies that foster inclusive cultural participation and deepen learners’ connection with heritage.

The project will produce accessible resources created throughout the project, including prototypes of the games, capacity building webinars, interviews with testimonials sharing their experiences, and design kits to help you replicate the model within your educational institution or cultural organization.