Modeling Performing Arts Metadata and Relationships in Content Service for Institutions

Abstract. The modeling of performing arts metadata is considered one of the most chal-lenging problem since performances add complexities related to events to the classical cul-tural heritage descriptors associated to physical objects. The most relevant lacks of the pre-sent models are related to the modeling of information connected to performers and per-formances, which are obviously distinguishing aspects of the performing arts and are es-sential to the preservation of our cultural heritage and literature, such aspect being strongly connected with performing arts. This paper presents the ECLAP Semantic model that has been specifically defined for aggregating and enriching performing arts content coming from several content providers. ECLAP has been set up by the European Commission to play the role of content aggregator for Europeana. The proposed ECLAP semantic model addresses most of the identified problems. The proposed model has been compared with present standards and it is now supported by a graphic tool for user navigation among se-mantic relationships and LOD. The paper also describes the generation of LOD from the ECLAP semantic model and the mapping of ECLAP model to Europeana Data Model, EDM. The experience highlighted that some relevant elements produced, enriched and ag-gregated by ECLAP cannot be mapped into EDM, while the ECLAP model can address some of the details related to the performing arts which are not at present addressed by the available standards. Keywords: performing arts, metadata enrichment, performing arts metadata, LOD, EDM, metadata stand-ards