Brussels, 22 June 2026 – CEPIC and Photoconsortium are pleased to announce that their joint project, CHERISH (Cloud for HERitage – Image Sector Hub), has been selected for funding under the ECHOES Cascading Grants Call. CHERISH is one of only 20 projects, reflecting the project's strong potential to contribute to the digital transformation of Europe's cultural heritage sector.
While significant advances have been made in the digitisation of photographic collections, many archives, photo libraries, including press agencies—particularly smaller organisations—continue to face challenges related to emerging technologies such as 3D, Extended Reality (XR), and Artificial Intelligence (AI), as well as limited resources and uneven digital skills.
CHERISH seeks to tackle this issue.
Led jointly by CEPIC and Photoconsortium, CHERISH is a 15-month initiative starting in June 2026 designed to accelerate the adoption of digital tools across Europe's photographic and image heritage community access the opportunities offered by the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH).
CHERISH draws on the extensive, complementary European networks of CEPIC and Photoconsortium to engage with a geographically diverse community of photo libraries, photographic heritage collections and press photo agencies. This is a sector which is currently underrepresented within the ECHOES ecosystem.
CHERISH will conduct a major survey amongst heritage collection professionals and based on its results deliver multilingual users’ guidelines and conduct a series of webinars and training workshops. The ultimate goal is to increase awareness of ECHOES tools and services, strengthen digital competencies, improve professional practices, and foster collaboration across Europe's image heritage sector.
The project results will be featured at major industry events, notably CEPIC 2027 and Photoconsortium annual event 2027.
"We are delighted that CHERISH has been selected among such a competitive field of proposals," says project coordinator Sylvie Fodor. "Cultural institutions should cherish their unique photographic assets, while gaining access to advanced, affordable cloud resources and tools that enhance their preservation and curation role."
About CEPIC
CEPIC is the international trade association representing organisations active in the visual media licensing industry, including picture agencies, photo libraries, and archives. Through advocacy, networking, and industry leadership, CEPIC supports the sustainable development of the image sector across Europe and beyond.
About Photoconsortium
Photoconsortium is an international non-profit association dedicated to promoting and enhancing access to photographic cultural heritage. Through collaborative projects, research, and capacity-building activities, Photoconsortium supports the digital transformation and visibility of photographic collections across Europe.
About ECHOES
CHERISH project has received support through a cascading grant from ECHOES, which is funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No. 101157364, with the support of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK Government’s Horizon Europe funding guarantee No. 10110142 and No. 10110466.
For further information about CHERISH, CEPIC, and Photoconsortium, please contact:
https://www.photoconsortium.net/cherish/
