Walking the City Differently: Rewriting Larnaka’s Story with ExhiBIT
On 18 May 2025, something quietly transformative happened in the streets of Larnaka. We didn’t walk the city as tourists — we walked it as co-authors of a new collective narrative. This unique cultural experience was made possible through the European project ExhiBIT, co-funded by the European Union, and brought to life by Larnaka Archives – Phivos Stavrides (LA-FS) and Citizens in Power (CIP), who co-organised the event as part of the project consortium.
With the ExhiBIT App as our guide, we journeyed through personal, emotional, and unexpected stories — voices that are often left unheard. This wasn’t just a walk; it was an act of cultural participation, a living museum without walls, and a chance to see Larnaka not just as a city, but as a mosaic of lived experiences.
The walk brought together more than 70 participants from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, reflecting Larnaka’s rich social fabric. Conducted in both Greek and English, the event fostered accessibility and inclusion, allowing people from multiple communities to connect with each other and the city in meaningful, shared ways.
As part of the experience, participants had the opportunity to access archival material from the Larnaka Archives – Phivos Stavrides, discovering photographs, documents, and testimonies that revealed the hidden layers of the city’s history. But this was not a one-way encounter — the public was also invited to add their own memories, stories, and reflections, contributing directly to the evolving collective narrative. In this way, Larnaka’s history became something we shaped together.
The App that Makes Heritage Participatory
The ExhiBIT App is more than a digital guide. Designed especially (but not exclusively) for small to mid-sized Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAMs), it empowers users to co-create exhibitions through a non-authoritative, inclusive approach.
Visitors can explore digitised collections, map their own routes, and engage with a growing community of storytellers and cultural participants. The app turns static heritage into a dynamic, interactive, and community-driven experience — one that values collaboration over hierarchy.
Bringing Hidden Narratives to Light
At its heart, ExhiBIT amplifies minor and underrepresented voices — those shaped by marginalisation along social, political, ethnic, religious, gender, or cultural lines. Its curatorial philosophy is rooted in inclusivity, reflection, and plurality, offering alternative narratives that challenge dominant historical accounts.
In Larnaka, a city with deep and complex cultural layers, this meant hearing from individuals whose stories are often overlooked — stories of migration, resilience, daily life, and personal memory. Together, these narratives formed a richer, more nuanced portrait of the city.
Powered by Local Cultural Champions
This Larnaka event was co-organised by Larnaka Archives – Phivos Stavrides (LA-FS) and Citizens in Power (CIP), two local organisations committed to participatory cultural practices and inclusive storytelling. As members of the ExhiBIT consortium, they are helping to pioneer a new approach to heritage: one that puts people and their stories at the centre.
Toward a Democratic Future for Cultural Heritage
What happened on 18 May wasn’t a one-time event — it was the beginning of a shift. A shift toward co-authored history, community memory, and a more democratic approach to heritage.
With ExhiBIT, we’re not just remembering the past — we’re rewriting it together.
