Våre historier
Preserving heritage for future generations
Our project aims to preserve the living heritage of Hamar by collecting and digitizing personal stories and memories from its people. These oral histories are transcribed and used to train an AI model that can interact with users in natural conversation. Through QR codes placed at local businesses and landmarks, residents and visitors can access this AI and engage with characters in augmented reality—characters who share real, historical stories from the town. These AR guides can even co-pilot users through the town, offering a unique and immersive historical experience. Local companies can sponsor or advertise through these characters, making the experience both sustainable and community-driven.
Scan QR code to activate Archive
QR codes will be placed strategically around Hamar — scan one to launch an AI-powered experience where you can chat with a virtual guide and explore the town’s memories and stories.
Local businesses play a vital role in this project — not just as part of Hamar’s story, but as active partners in preserving it. By placing a QR code on their premises, businesses help bring the town’s living history to life. In return, they’re offered the opportunity to be interviewed and included in the archive. Some may also choose to be featured in the augmented reality experience, where characters naturally mention or guide users to nearby shops and services.
Even places that people used to visit but no longer frequent can be remembered and highlighted through the voices of the characters — reconnecting the past with the present and encouraging renewed interest in forgotten corners of town. This model supports local identity while offering a sustainable way to keep the stories — and the economy — alive.
Lasting Cultural Impact: A Time Capsule for the Future
This project creates a digital archive of personal stories and memories from people in Hamar. By collecting and preserving these accounts, we are building a time capsule that captures the town’s history through the voices of those who lived it.
The archive allows future generations to access and experience Hamar’s heritage in a way that goes beyond traditional records. Using AI and augmented reality, the stories are not just stored but brought to life, helping people connect with the past in a more direct and engaging way.
Over time, this collection of memories will serve as a resource for understanding the town’s cultural identity and changes, keeping the history accessible and relevant for years to come
A New Way for Researchers to Explore History
Unlike traditional archives that rely on keywords, metadata, or titles, this project uses AI trained directly on the stories and memories collected from Hamar’s residents. This means that future researchers will be able to access and explore the archive through natural, context-driven interactions rather than just searching for specific terms.
The AI understands the content on a deeper level, allowing users to ask complex questions or follow thematic threads across different stories. This makes navigation faster, more intuitive, and more reliable—researchers can engage with the material as if they were having a conversation with someone who knows the history intimately.
This method opens up new possibilities for uncovering connections and insights within the archive that might be missed using traditional search techniques. It allows for a richer understanding of the town’s heritage, supported by technology that adapts to the context and content of the memories themselves.
Stories built on the History of the town
Hamar’s identity has long been shaped by the railway industry, which played a central role in the town’s development, economy, and daily life for generations.
Many of the personal stories and memories we collect touch on this legacy — from working on the railway to living in neighborhoods shaped by it. Because of this, collaborating with the Norwegian Railway Museum and placing QR codes in and around the museum is a natural and meaningful part of the project.
By integrating our augmented reality experience with the museum space, we can extend the historical narrative beyond exhibits and into lived memory. Visitors will not only see artifacts but also hear the voices of people who experienced the railway’s impact firsthand. This adds a personal and emotional layer to the museum experience, bridging formal history with local storytelling.
It also ensures that the museum remains a central hub in Hamar’s cultural landscape — not just as a keeper of historical objects, but as an active participant in preserving and sharing the town’s living heritage. The collaboration supports both education and accessibility, giving locals and visitors an opportunity to explore the railway’s importance in a modern, interactive way.
Built on Trust, Powered by Community
This project is built on the support, generosity, and trust of the people who call Hamar home. Every story, every memory, and every shared detail contributes to a deeper understanding of the town’s identity — not just as it was, but as it lives on today through its people.
We invite you to be part of this effort by sharing your own memories and experiences. Whether it's a moment from your childhood, a family tradition, a story about your neighborhood, or reflections on how the town has changed — your voice matters. These stories form the foundation of a living archive that will be preserved and made accessible for future generations.
By contributing, you’re helping create something lasting: a shared space where local history is not just recorded, but remembered, honored, and brought to life through new technology. This is a community story, and it can’t be told without you.
Meet the team
Ingunn Helene Kristensen
Mica B. McGregor
Talib Rasmussen
Espen Glomsvoll
Director/Journalist
Ingunn har siden 2016 skrevet et stort antall artikler til norske magasiner og aviser, som blant annet Aftenposten Historie, Innsikt, Ledernytt og en rekke flere.Fra 2003 til 2016 skrev Ingunn lærebøker for Cappelen Damm. Ingunn har studert historie og statsvitenskap ved Universitetet i Trondheim.
Ved siden av journalistikk og forfatterskap, har hun 30 års erfaring som pedagog.
De siste årene har Ingunn også studert Kommunikasjonrådgivning ved Universitetet i Innlandet.
Cinematographer/Concept Lead
Espen Glomsvoll har over 20-års erfaring innen film og tv. Han har jobbet for både nasjonale og internasjonale tv-selskaper og strømmetjenester, som for eksempel, NRK, National Geographic, Viaplay, Discovery Channel, Tv2 mm
Project Initiator/Sound Technician
Mica McGregor har over 15 års erfaring som lydtekniker innen film- og TV-bransjen, med arbeid både lokalt og internasjonalt. Han har samarbeidet med ledende kanaler som Viaplay, TV2 og NRK, samt globale organisasjoner som Røde Kors og AIPP.
Editor
Talib Rasmussen, fra Dar es Salaam i Tanzania, fulgte sin lidenskap for film ved å studere ved Den Danske Filmskole og ble uteksaminert i 2009. Han har siden jobbet med dokumentarer, fiksjonsfilmer og reklamer, som alle har styrket hans fortellerkunst.
Contact us.
micabmcgregor@gmail.com
+4740056465