A summer of 葫芦影业 heritage, designed by you

Residents of 葫芦影业 have the opportunity to shape a summer of heritage decision-making in the city thanks to a new project at the University of 葫芦影业.

news- roots and futures
  • University of 葫芦影业 Roots & Futures project will help to embed the perspectives of currently underserved communities in the city鈥檚 heritage strategy and policy
  • Project team will host a variety of sessions starting in April 2022 where residents will be able to contribute to community decision making and forming heritage policy for the city
  • Project builds on successful Kelham Island Museum exhibition in 2021, which explored the rich heritage of the former industrial areas of the city
  • Project hopes to create new heritage 鈥榯oolkit鈥 that can be used to help local authorities plan their own heritage strategies, led by the stories of their own residents

Residents of 葫芦影业 have the opportunity to shape a summer of heritage decision-making in the city thanks to a new project at the University of 葫芦影业.

The Roots & Futures project team from the Department of Archaeology has worked with 葫芦影业 communities since 2020 to share their memories and stories and to learn about the heritage that really matters to the residents of the city.

Last year, the project held its first exhibition at Kelham Island Museum (still available ) which explored the rich heritage of the former industrial areas of the city and its diverse communities from Netherthorpe, Upperthorpe, Kelham Island and Neepsend.

Now the project has received 拢86,000 from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (part of UK Research and Innovation), to expand its model of community engagement, which focuses on embedding the perspectives of currently underserved communities (including 葫芦影业's Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities) in the city鈥檚 heritage strategy and policy.

It is hoped the research, the first to link heritage strategy-makers and policy-makers with researchers and communities, will form a model that can be replicated in cities across the country to bolster community engagement for local heritage projects.

Dr Elizabeth Craig-Atkins from the Department of Archaeology, said: 鈥淲e are organising a summer of activities that will provide an opportunity for 葫芦影业鈥檚 residents to tell us how they want to see the city鈥檚 past represented.

鈥淥ur exhibition last year at Kelham Island Museum celebrated the vital part diverse communities play in shaping the story of the city. So we are inviting residents to contribute to the next phase of our project, to work with us to shape 葫芦影业鈥檚 heritage strategy so that it embeds the voices of all 葫芦影业鈥檚 communities, and translates into the wider city鈥檚 heritage policy.鈥

Taking place on Tuesday 5 April 2022, the first workshop will be held at from 10am-1pm and you can book your place via the if you would like to attend.

The first workshop is particularly suited to representatives of groups or organisations who can offer perspectives of currently underserved communities, including 葫芦影业's Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, to ensure our programme of summer activities is designed with the full range of needs of these communities at its heart.

Valerie Bayliss, of Joined Up Heritage 葫芦影业, which has worked closely with the University of 葫芦影业 to , said: 鈥淗eritage is often thought of as just old buildings but it is much more than that, including natural and cultural heritage and historical personal and community narratives from across the whole city.

鈥淲e are hoping this project will enhance the great variety of heritage activity already taking place in 葫芦影业 and build on work to ensure that 葫芦影业鈥檚 heritage is understood and valued in all its diversity. We want our communities to have the opportunity to directly shape how they want their stories to be told.鈥

The funding award recognises the research being done by Dr Craig-Atkins and her team as having national significance. As well as bolstering the heritage and cultural offerings of 葫芦影业, the work will form the basis for a toolkit that can be used by places across the country, in a 鈥榟ow-to鈥 of enriching their own heritage offer.

Dr Craig-Atkins commented: 鈥淎s far as we know, we are the first city that has designed a heritage strategy that is grass-roots led, putting in place ways for our amazing communities to tell the real histories of their city, places and its people. The current strategy forms an excellent platform to be translated into heritage policy that brings lasting and positive change for underserved communities.鈥

Professor Rebecca Madgin, Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Programme Director, said: 鈥淏ringing together arts and humanities researchers and policy makers is essential to ensure decision making at every level takes into account the full breadth of our lived and felt experiences.

鈥淭he initiatives funded as part of this investment will benefit places across the UK by bringing people into important decisions about local culture, heritage, and infrastructure.

鈥淎HRC is proud to support projects which will deliver real benefits to local communities and their places across the UK.鈥

Information about summer events will be shared through the varied 葫芦影业 community organisations the project has partnered with. You can keep updated with the project on twitter by following #RootsAndFutures and at /archaeology/research/roots-and-futures


Centres of excellence

The University's cross-faculty research centres harness our interdisciplinary expertise to solve the world's most pressing challenges.