Work Package
The project is structured around five interconnected work packages that involve all partners and combine their diverse expertise.
WP1 strengthened cooperation among partner institutions through structured mobility, shared training, and reciprocal exchange between Italy and Jerusalem.
Students, researchers, and artists participated in joint programmes and mobility periods, fostering intercultural dialogue and reinforcing long-term institutional collaboration in the fields of music and dance.
T1.1: Mutual Learning Programme
A coordinated programme of courses was implemented in collaboration with the Magnificat Institute in Jerusalem, covering Organ, History of Music, Singing, Chamber Music, and Wind Ensemble Music.
Students from partner institutions attended activities online and in person, expanding their competences while strengthening academic and artistic exchange between institutions.
T1.2: Winter School and Final Conference
An international Winter School was organised in Vicenza in conjunction with the project’s final conference, in hybrid format and with the involvement of all partners.
Selected PhD candidates and researchers participated in seminars and workshops, engaging with senior scholars and artists and contributing to the discussion of the project’s research and artistic outcomes.
T1.3: Dance Training with Birzeit University
Reciprocal training exchanges were carried out between the National Academy of Dance and Birzeit University. Students undertook short-term mobility periods, fostering artistic collaboration and shared exploration of Mediterranean movement practices.
International mobility programmes were organised for two visiting professors and three incoming students from institutions affiliated with Birzeit University — the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music and the Palestinian Circus School — as well as from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.
The visiting professors delivered masterclasses and collaborated with AND faculty members on an original creation combining music and dance. The students were awarded full scholarships covering travel, board, and accommodation expenses for the months of September and October 2025. They participated in multiple educational and artistic activities, culminating in public performances at the Ruskaja Theatre, and shared meaningful experiences and reflections with AND students.
WP2 addressed the core research and heritage objectives of JERUS-IT-ARTS. Through conservation studies, archival work, digitisation, and digital design, the project safeguarded and enhanced access to significant musical and documentary heritage linked to the historical relationship between Italy and Jerusalem.
The activities combined conservation expertise, archival standards, and digital humanities methodologies, ensuring both long-term preservation and open access.
T2.1. Analysis and Research on the State of Conservation of Two Organs
Project teams (Conservatory of Vicenza, Conservatory of Bologna, the Brera Academy and the Civica Scuola di Musica “Claudio Abbado”) studied two organs: one historical rediscovered in the Terra Sancta Museum in Bethlehem and one preserved at the Conservatory of Bologna.
In order to support the museum display activities related to the Bethlehem organ, the Brera Academy carried out a preliminary analysis of possible exhibition approaches through a benchmark study of musical instrument museums. Likewise, the Civica Scuola di Musica “Claudio Abbado” proposed examples of the reconstruction of a medieval organ and its different sound qualities, in order to contribute to the reconstruction of the Bethlehem organ.
Regarding the Conservatory of Bologna Organ, the activity focused on the large Tamburini organ in the Sala Bossi, a prestigious instrument of the Italian organ tradition, designed for liturgical use, the performance and study of a broad organ repertoire, and research, documentation, and heritage enhancement.
The analysis examined materials, construction techniques, and restoration priorities, providing a structured basis for future interventions. Partners also collaborated on the design of spaces in Jerusalem and Bologna to ensure scholarly and public accessibility.
T2.2. Analysis and Research on the State of Conservation of the Musical Books of the Franciscan Custody
A conservation assessment was conducted on Medieval and early modern musical books held in the historic library of the Franciscan Custody of Jerusalem.
Following the assessment of the items requiring restoration, the restoration process was carried out. The Civic Museums have examined the volumes, providing updated cataloguing linked to their shelf marks, as well as a scientific study of the sources.
The study evaluated materials, preservation conditions, and minimal intervention strategies, defining priorities for future restoration while safeguarding the integrity of the collection.
T2.3. Creation of the Inventory of the Franciscan Musical Archive
The Franciscan musical archive in Jerusalem was systematically inventoried according to international archival standards.
The work structured and documented materials relating to the historical connections between Jerusalem and Italian musical institutions, establishing an accessible and coherent archival framework.
T2.4. Digitisation of the Franciscan Musical Archive
The Centre for Digital Humanities at UNIMORE digitised the musical archive of the Franciscan Custody.
The process ensured high-quality digital records and significantly expanded access to materials previously available only on site.
T2.5. User Experience Design
The Brera Academy led the user experience design phase to enhance the accessibility and presentation of the digitised heritage. Navigation structures and interaction models are developed to support both scholarly consultation and public engagement.
T2.6. Import into the JERUS-IT-ARTS Website
The digitised records are made available through Lodovico, the Unimore open-access platform for archival preservation. The result is an interactive digital environment supporting research, preservation, and public dissemination.
WP3 focused on developing innovative research and artistic experimentation centred on the musical and cultural connections between Italy and the Middle East, with particular attention to Jerusalem, Israel, and Palestine.
By combining historical research, musicology, and artistic practice, the Work Package generated new scholarly outputs and original performances, contributing both to academic knowledge and contemporary creative production.
T3.1. History of Musical and Artistic Connections between Italy and the Holy Land
Research was conducted in the historical archives of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land and in the archives of the Conservatory of Bologna, among others.
The study resulted in five peer reviewed scientific articles and one volume with selected results from the project, published in Open Access, strengthening international scholarship on Italo–Holy Land artistic relations.
T3.2. Artistic Compositions
National Academy of Dance’s students collaboratively created an original performance integrating music, dance, and visual arts.
The work was premiered during the JERUS-IT-ARTS Festival (see WP4), presenting the project’s artistic experimentation to an international audience.
T3.3. Dance Studies
A research strand on the circularities of Mediterranean dance practices, from Italy to the Middle East, was developed with the involvement of all partners.
The project aimed to enhance research-creation through an experimental approach, resulting in the production of intercultural and transdisciplinary performances in which choreographic, musical, and multimedia languages were blended.
In order to document the work within a more traditional historical and analytical framework, a call for proposals was published for faculty-researchers invited to conduct seminars on dance anthropology, ancient and folk dances, and to shed light on the values, aesthetics, and purposes that are essential for “re-founding” contemporary choreographic creation.
The outcomes of this research will be published in a peer-reviewed article on an open-access scientific journal specialising in Dance Studies.
WP4 focused on dissemination, communication, and public engagement, ensuring that the project’s research and artistic outputs reached diverse audiences at local and international level.
Through coordinated communication strategies, public events, digital platforms, and artistic initiatives, WP4 enhanced the visibility, accessibility, and long-term impact of JERUS-IT-ARTS.
T4.1. Dissemination, Communication and Exploitation Plan
A comprehensive dissemination and communication plan was implemented, including the development of a visual identity, online presence (Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, and LinkedIn), printed materials, and two promotional videos.
The plan also structured the communication of workshops, seminars, the Winter School, and the final conference, alongside a coordinated publication strategy.
T4.2. JERUS-IT-ARTS Website
The JERUS-IT-ARTS website was developed as the main platform for presenting the project’s activities and results.
It provides access to digitised collections, research publications, videos and audio recordings of performances, and other project resources, ensuring open and structured dissemination.
T4.3. Virtual Exhibition
An online virtual exhibition was created based on digitised documents. The exhibition offers access to selected materials, expanding public engagement with the project’s cultural heritage.
T4.4. Workshops, Seminars, and Final Conference
Several workshops and seminars with invited speakers were organised and publicly advertised both in the project’s accounts (Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram) and in the website (in section “Events”).
The final conference was held in Vicenza on January 10th 2026. Final events were organised also in Milan and in Jerusalem in connection with the JERUS-IT-ARTS Festival.
T4.5. JERUS-IT-ARTS International Contest
An international call for artistic contributions in music, visual arts, and dance was launched and disseminated in Italian, French, English, Hebrew, and Arabic.
The contest encouraged creative works reflecting on artistic connections between Italy, Jerusalem, and Palestine.
T4.6. International JERUS-IT-ARTS Festival
The International JERUS-IT-ARTS Festival took place across partner institutions and in Jerusalem. Concerts and artistic performances showcased the circulation of music, artistic practices, and knowledge between Italy and Jerusalem, presenting the project’s creative outcomes to a broad public.
WP5 is a horizontal activity accompanying the entire project and it includes the executive and financial management of the project, the monitoring of the project quality and risks and the production of the periodic reports.
