About DCDC23

Radical reimagining: interplays of physical and virtual

DCDC23 took place in person at Durham University and online over 11-13 July 2023. The event provided the opportunity to reconnect with peers, share stories, celebrate past successes, discuss future opportunities, and explore our History Day exhibition, all live in Durham for the first time in two years.

For delegates unable to join us in-person, we offered registration to our online platform, which provided access to view and participate across a programme of live sessions and opportunities to network through our event discussion forum and chat. 

Throughout the conference we reflected on the interplay between the physical and the virtual, the ‘materiality’ of physical collections and digital interventions. 

DCDC23 offered an opportunity to explore the new ways of working within the GLAMA (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums and Academia) sector and was an invitation to collectively imagine the sector's new hybrid material futures, as well as the future of DCDC as a vehicle for collaboration, creativity and community. 

The National Archives and Jisc were delighted to welcome the British Library as a new partner in the delivery and organisation of the interdisciplinary Discovering Collections: Discovering Communities (DCDC) conference series. 

Keynote speakers

• Dr Sam Salem, PRiSM lecturer in composition, Royal Northern College of Music
• Professor Kate Elswit, head of digital research and professor of performance and technology, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London
• Dr Daniela Petrelli, professor of interaction design at the Art and Design Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University
• Ojoma Ochai, cofounder and managing partner, Creative Economy Practice at CcHUB
• Professor Claire Warwick, professor of digital humanities, Durham University
• Dr Chiara Zuanni, assistant professor, University of Graz

Who attended?

• Archivists
• Librarians
• Higher education (HE) professionals
• Postgraduate students
• Cultural heritage professionals and practitioners
• Early career researchers, practitioners, and professionals
• Digital practitioners
• Digital and cultural consultants

We welcomed archives, libraries, special collections, museums, galleries, heritage organisations, academics, independent research organisations (IROs), charitable and community organisations, and research support and impact professionals to attend the event.

In-person or online

In-person attendees were able to experience our diverse and targeted programme live in Durham, with many opportunities for face-to-face networking and exclusive access to our History Day exhibition and drinks reception. 

Online attendees were able to enjoy a wide variety of sessions via the DCDC23 EventsAir online platform. Included in our online option was the opportunity to use online meeting rooms, participate in sessions via a discussion forum and Q&A section, and communicate with other event attendees on the DCDC23 event chat.

Venue

Teaching and Learning Centre, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LS.