The Heritage Alliance, England’s largest coalition of heritage interests, uniting over 150 independent heritage bodies in England, is holding its first ever virtual Heritage Debate on 23 November 2020, supported by Ecclesiastical Insurance Group.
Our Heritage Debate this year will be posing the question: “Young People and Heritage: Creating Lifelong Supporters?”. At a time when 16-24-year-olds are the least likely adult age group to visit a heritage venue, now is the time to ensure that the heritage sector is reflecting on its practice and engaging young people as audiences and collaborators. The last few months have seen incredible resilience from the heritage sector, yet with new ways of working ability to adapt to our changing society we must ensure we have young advocates for our continued growth.
"What does heritage mean to you?"
In the lead-up to Heritage Debate 2020, we have been seeking blogs and vlogs from young people in the UK aged 16-24 with an interest in heritage to answer the question ‘What does heritage mean to you?’.
We are inviting people who fit these criteria to share stories about how they became interested in heritage, their perspectives on what the heritage sector can do to attract more young people, or why they see value in heritage. All blog and vlog submissions will be entered into a prize draw to win an iPad Air. The deadline for submissions was midnight on Wednesday 18th November. We will soon be announcing the winners online - so watch this space!
Further details about the prize draw, this event and The Heritage Alliance’s annual Heritage Debate, can be found on The Heritage Alliance website:
What does heritage mean to you?
Finding a Place in the Heritage Sector
Julia Pieza (former intern at The Heritage Alliance)
The heritage sector seemed a bit mythical when I first started to think about working in it. Made up of grand institutions, old mansions and often a much older workforce with which building connections seemed impossible. After all I was interested in social change, passionate about accessibility, politics, policy, art and history. Nevertheless, I applied for an internship at the Heritage Alliance wanting to see if there was a role out there, or even a place, where these seemingly disparate interests of mine could come together.
At university I had no problem getting involved with a plethora of extra-curriculars, from access work and volunteering, to student journalism, to taking life-drawing classes here and there. Yet it rarely felt like I knew where I’d find my place afterwards. The different paths that could stem from my humanities degree often left me feeling a little paralysed. I think this speaks to both the excitement for the opportunities out there, and the fear of committing to something you might eventually find was not for you.
When I started the internship at the Heritage Alliance, I was excited to find an appreciation for young voices and the necessity to work on changing both the image and role of the sector. I was pleased to see that the opposite of this mythical sector I imagined was also true. That there is a growing and diverse community of young people, enthusiastic about history and heritage; the way we engage with it and how it shapes our social relations.
I think that young people are seeking organisations and outlets which respect their ideas and hard work. The rapidly changing world we find ourselves in is an opportunity to consider the future of heritage, and of the wider economy as well as the role of culture within it. Through my short yet packed experience with the Alliance I have created foundation on which I can build on all my areas of interest. From analysing policy to writing this blog, I feel my work has been rewarding. Though there is much to improve on, from accessibility to diversity within the sector, the opportunities for change shouldn’t be feared by those established in this workforce. Instead as I hope this year’s Heritage Debate will demonstrate, there is so much to be gained from embracing, and placing, young people’s ideas at the heart of heritage.
I think that young people are seeking organisations and outlets which respect their ideas and hard work. - Julia Pieza
Entering the Heritage Sector
Katie Ramsey (Communications and Advocacy Officer at the Heritage Alliance & former intern)
From a young age, I loved history’s stories and I always wanted to be involved, in some way, in preserving them and sharing them with others. I was shy though and was always terrified of being ‘targeted’ by a volunteer at a museum or historic house. That shyness has stuck with me, and my preference is always to quietly take in a heritage place, without an audio-guide or an overly involved digital experience.
When you are young, and unless you look more closely at the sector, I think that you take the visitor-facing roles at historic attractions to be the ‘heritage sector’. This area is a very welcoming and accessible place, which has lots of opportunities for newcomers and volunteers.
As I got older, though, I began to understand more clearly the depth of the heritage sector and I found areas that I was better suited to. While the people were always incredibly welcoming, internships and experiences in this side of the sector required a lot of perseverance. I found myself mucking out chickens and being walked around the Cambridge countryside by two energetic dogs so that I could have accommodation and an income while completing an internship in the city.
By the time I graduated, I felt like I knew where I wanted to start, but I was hit by the catch 22, which I think lots of grads experience, that nearly every job was given out depending on experience. I needed to have had a job to prove I could do one, but no one would give me a job because I’d never had one! Starter roles were few and far between, but I did eventually find one at the CLA, which was a great starting point and now at the Alliance I feel like I’m nearing where I want to be.
Ultimately, I have chosen to pursue a career in heritage, because I know that the variety of the work available and the purpose of protecting our history will ensure that I am fulfilled. However, I am still hit with the occasional feeling of ‘am I wasting myself on the heritage sector?’. As someone who achieved highly at university and who (in theory) could have become a banker, lawyer or entered another highly paid profession, it feels like a risk to choose the heritage sector, where pay is lower and there is not a clear pathway for career progression. My passion for heritage and the joy that I take from my job reassure me that I’m on the right track, but if my family were financially insecure, I probably wouldn’t have chosen the heritage sector.
My passion for heritage and the joy that I take from my job reassure me that I’m on the right track, but if my family were financially insecure, I probably wouldn’t have chosen the heritage sector. - Katie Ramsey
Lifelong Heritage Advocates: Looking Beyond the Workforce
Lucy Inskip (Assistant Heritage & Outreach Officer, Oxford Preservation Trust)
Whilst 16-24 year-olds may be the least likely to visit a heritage venue, and whilst this issue is certainly worth interrogating, is this measure too narrow? Especially in the context of COVID-19 and the somewhat dizzying digital heights so many have sought to reach, heritage engagement can go beyond tangible and physical methods. The parochial assumption that heritage advocacy must be traced back to something like stately home visits as a child is an unrepresentative one.
Having just joined the Peaky Blinders party fashionably late, The Heritage Alliance’s Inspiring Creativity report rings in my ears: “There would have been no Downton Abbey without Highclere; no Poldark without tin mines”, and indeed no Peaky Blinders without the Black Country Living Museum! My point is that, explicit or not, the incredible popularity of such programmes has meant that many younger people are engaging with heritage in different ways. But are young people choosing these programmes partly because of their heritage setting, or is this entirely secondary? And would they subsequently be inspired to visit these places? What’s more, could any of this actually result in a young person wanting to volunteer or work in the sector?
Reflecting on my experience of working in the heritage sector thus far, I have sometimes found it both a blessing and a curse to pursue something I love for a career. You tacitly accept a generally lower salary because you love what you do, and then feel an almost overwhelming pressure to always love it! With the job market seemingly more competitive than ever, one cannot help but feel fearful of the future, and more susceptible to comparing yourself to the achievements of others. Without wishing to sound like a motivational postcard, know your worth and be confident that you have something unique to offer. Broaden this offer by engaging with free online courses, volunteering opportunities, and young trustee positions. Broaden your network by creating a Twitter and LinkedIn account to connect with those you have crossed paths with. Above all, do not forget that being a lifelong heritage advocate does not mean you have to be a lifelong heritage worker; loyalty to the sector is not a prerequisite of advocacy.
Heritage advocates need not be thoroughbred, diehard history fanatics, but they can exist anywhere and reside within anyone. Lifelong heritage advocates should not need to hold degrees or have visited every museum in the country. Lifelong heritage advocates can be formed by actively addressing more diverse narratives, and empowering young people to lead the interpretation. This is about capturing one’s imagination, and making meaningful connections to the wonderfully varied heritage landscape we all inhabit, to advocate its worth in work and play.
Lifelong heritage advocates should not need to hold degrees or have visited every museum in the country. - Lucy Inskip
Making Heritage More Inclusive
Zoe Newth (Masters Student, Heritage Management)
Since I was younger, I frequently visit museums and heritage sites along with my family. Most times it is to National Trust properties. My favourites from childhood include Dunster, Tyntesfield and Dyrham Park, all based in the South West.
Due to this, the fascination with heritage is still with me today and centers my life. I always plan trips around visiting heritage sites, a recent example being when I went abroad on an internship to Italy. As soon as I arrived in Parma, I researched the local museums and heritage sites, planning out my free weekends to learn the local heritage there.
During school I enjoyed history, studying it for GCSE and A-Levels. My love for heritage only intensified when I finished school and began to visit university open days. I was looking for history courses but when I arrived on one open day, I was introduced to the academic version of heritage and learnt it was a course you could study. I soon enrolled on a heritage course called Public History and Heritage. I did a mixture of history studies and heritage studies. Whilst I was learning about the French Revolution, I was also creating podcasts and learning ways I could present history to the public.
I thoroughly enjoyed my three years at this undergraduate course and enjoyed the more practical aspect. I began to realise the complexity of heritage and the roles that were available in the sector too, beginning my interest in curator roles. This was furthered by my volunteering at a local museum and my internship to Italy where I worked in an archive for several weeks.
I also frequently enjoyed exploring and debating current topics within heritage, ranging from how accessible heritage sites are to those with disabilities to decolonising collections. My dissertation in my final year explored the idea of repatriation and the potential solutions to a claim.
I do not want institutions to be afraid of such difficult topics but to instead actively tackle them. My aim is to increase diversity and accessibility to all. As I know I was privileged to frequently visit such historical sites during my childhood with no challenges.
Today I am completing my master’s in Heritage Management, having started in September this year, to hopefully start my climb to become a curator and have a management role within collections.
It would be amazing to invest in disadvantaged areas and especially run outreach programmes to schools and youth clubs to encourage young people to become involved. Many feel the museum is not for them or children view them as a dull school trip where you quietly walk around exhibitions. But to bring the museum to them instead, outside of the traditional setting, may spark interest, especially in practical handling collections sessions. It will also allow themselves to explore their identities more, having access to such collections, particularly if from a local institution near them. Through this there will be new perspective and engagement, hopefully attracting younger volunteers.
I do not want institutions to be afraid of such difficult topics but to instead actively tackle them. My aim is to increase diversity and accessibility to all. - Zoe Newth
What does heritage mean to me?
Sarah Roller
I might be somewhat biased, given I spent the past year working at a historic house and gardens, but to me heritage is so much more than simply castles, country houses and museums. Of course our built heritage is important, but so too are our landscapes – urban and rural, natural and manmade. In an age of consumerism and consumption, where so much is so temporary and fleeting, being rooted in sites which have seen centuries pass and yet still remain has always given me a sense of being part of something bigger than simply my own little world and the problems of the present.
As a young woman working in the heritage sector, I found that energy and dynamism goes a long way. In a sector which often relies on volunteers, many of whom are retired, and staff who have often been in place for a long time, my enthusiasm was very much welcomed. Working in dialogue with people of all ages and backgrounds was one of the best parts of my role, and I became immensely fond of all the volunteers and staff I worked with, and really valued the relationships I built with them. My job was far more than just a job and learning to truly care about the local community and environment was invaluable during the lockdown earlier in the year.
That is not to say that it’s easy for young people to engage and enjoy the heritage sector. Large quantities of elderly volunteers at sites can sometimes make younger people feel out of place, and a lot of engagement methods need updating to reflect a younger audience who may well not be well versed in the kings and queens of England or supposedly ‘well-known’ events in history. I have certainly felt patronised or glossed over by guides and volunteers at heritage sites because of my age and demographic.
Similarly, there simply aren’t that many young people working in heritage, which is both disappointing and frustrating. To bring in a younger audience, you need staff who reflect and understand that demographic – preferably their contemporaries – so they can engage in a meaningful and relevant way. In a world which so often operates on a dead-man’s-shoes basis, it is no wonder that 16-24 year olds feel unwelcome when those who work at these sites are at least as old as their parents.
Britain’s heritage is treasured for a reason. From Stonehenge to 19th century industrial landscapes, Elizabethan manor houses to 1930s modernism, we have so much to offer. History and heritage are full of stories – about changing worlds, visions, and innovation. They’re fascinating, relevant, and most importantly, human. The world may have changed since immeasurably since Stonehenge was constructed, but stories of human determination and vision remain as relevant as ever. Remind young people that they’re part of something bigger, and they have something to offer to the world when they visit heritage sites, and just maybe you’ll reconnect with this age group.
To bring in a younger audience, you need staff who reflect and understand that demographic – preferably their contemporaries – so they can engage in a meaningful and relevant way. - Sarah Roller
Young People and Heritage Careers
Megan Schlanker
Young people have been considered one of the ‘hard to reach’ categories for museums and heritage organisations, however a prominent theme at this year’s Museum Association conference, A World Turned Upside Down, was that this categorisation is often problematic. Many of the panellists suggested a shift in perception, that we should consider the museums ‘hard to reach’ and work from there. 16-24 year olds have been found to be the age group least likely to visit heritage organisations, but we must ask ourselves why that is the case, and what impact this may have on the future of the heritage sector.
Now is a challenging time to be a young person looking to start a career, almost regardless of the sector in question, and times have become even more challenging with the onset of the current crisis. As we think about the future beyond the Covid-19 crisis, we have to consider the future of the sector and those working in it.
As a young person with career aspirations in the archaeology and heritage sector, I am keenly aware of the focus on voluntary work as a way to develop skills and build up your CV. I, and many other young people with similar aspirations, love volunteering, however this focus on unpaid work has been raised as an issue by many in the sector. Unpaid roles in the heritage sector, are, unfortunately, exclusionary. Many young people need to seek paid work in order to provide for themselves or their families, and simply cannot afford to take on additional unpaid work. Short paid trainee schemes and apprenticeships might be a good way to engage young people who might otherwise not be able to break into the sector. It is important to consider that not all heritage organisations will have the resources to offer such programmes and roles, however hiring organisations must also take into account experience from other sectors rather than dismissing young people for a lack of heritage experience. It is a difficult situation for young people and for heritage organisations, and one that must be navigated carefully.
I think it is also important to consider that young people are an asset to the heritage sector. We are living in an increasingly digital age, and the skills that many young people have developed through their own private social media or computer use can be applied to the benefit of heritage organisations. An organisation developing a presence on Twitter or Instagram can help to bring in more visitors, and in the current climate it is more important to have a digital presence than ever.
It’s a frightening and unclear time for the sector at the moment, and I can only hope that, when we come out of this, there can be more opportunities for young people to achieve their goals, to the benefit of everybody.
I, and many other young people with similar aspirations, love volunteering, however this focus on unpaid work has been raised as an issue by many in the sector. - Megan Schlanker
Black Country Canals
Abigail Allan
There is a place just north of central Oxford where the skyline flattens and the land opens out; the golden spires disappear as train tracks come into view, rattling beside the canal, and the lights of signals peer out of the mist settled over the water. I am a stranger in this city, but this place more than anywhere else feels like home. I recognise something of the bramble that climbs the spike-topped fences and the barges which lie low in the water. Standing by this canal imparts a gentle sense of calm, like a weight pressing between my shoulder blades and forcing my spine to uncurl.
I used to be scared of canals – my mother had told me one too many stories of children drowning in them, and, indeed, I had seen children fall in – but now I find them comforting. I find myself breathing in deeply to smell baked algae on stagnant water in the summer and I enjoy the clouds of coal-smoke rising from the barges, the smell of engine oil in the air. Perhaps it is the knowledge that the canals in Britain are always connected to its industrial heartland, little lines on a map from there to here, criss-crossing train tracks and dipping under motorways, and so if I only followed them for long enough I could return to the Black Country. Perhaps it is because, in this flat place by an Oxford canal, I recognise a little piece of myself in a city where I otherwise feel so alien.
The Black Country has moved on from coal-mining – a good thing, no doubt – but its memories are still there, scarred into the land. I recognise this heritage in the pools of water where quarries used to be, the ravines carved through the fields where train tracks once ran, and, more than anything else, in the canals. The Black Country’s heritage is not only a thing of the past: it is heritage as living, pulsating, breathing thing, a heritage which does not remain in stasis, can never be one form forever. Cycling along the canal and passing under a bridge, the roar of the motorway quietening to a hushed rumble, something you feel more than hear; my brother and I scanning the hedges in the late summer as the blackberries glut; learning the names of the moored barges – these things are all part of the Black Country’s heritage.
I do not claim to know the waterways, the lock numbers, and the bridge names by heart, but what I do know is that as soon as I return home, the map comes back to me, like turning over my hand to see lines on my palm that I had always known were there, but had never before properly acknowledged. Britain’s canals are a special kind of heritage. They make me feel at home when I am not and they remind me that the Black County is a place where, although it is no longer in living memory, everyone knows that once the sky was black by day and red by night.
Cycling along the canal and passing under a bridge, the roar of the motorway quietening to a hushed rumble, something you feel more than hear; my brother and I scanning the hedges in the late summer as the blackberries glut; learning the names of the moored barges – these things are all part of the Black Country’s heritage. - Abigail
What does heritage mean to me?
Isobel Moody
Being home for lockdown in the place where I grew up has got me thinking about permanency. Heritage once meant to me old grand buildings and exquisite artefacts preserved for their beauty, but as I move through the ‘not quite’ city of Milton Keynes I see this definition simply doesn’t cut it. In recent times, it is easy to find examples in the news of heritage discourse and practice, take the Colston Statue for one. It is easy to look around Milton Keynes and come to the conclusion (as I did for many years) that no culture or heritage resides here as it does in historic cities. New builds and chain restaurants dominate the city centre and it is far too easy to walk past or through the oldest parts of Milton Keynes without even realising. However, I have come to realise that ‘old’ and even ‘material’ is not the be all and end all of the heritage sector.
My family have always valued music in all its forms but I would very much describe my mum as ‘folky’. This intangible heritage of song and their meanings is valuable in and of itself, but in my experience, it is very much spatially bound. Stony Stratford is where you go to experience folk; it was once the place I was dragged to but now it’s a place I miss. Open mic nights, the people walking the high street and even the presence of lurchers on walks along the river create an atmosphere of folklore and community – perhaps just for me. Simply recording these songs and photographing the people wouldn’t be enough, it is about context and atmosphere, something that cannot be reproduced. It makes me wonder how long this atmosphere will survive and think about how best to protect it.
The fact that there are so many physical locations in the UK valued as heritage sites but not one example of British intangible heritage in the UNESCO lists is both surprising and concerning. There needs to be a shift in understanding of the term ‘heritage’ in the popular imagination. Ideas around cultural practice being not only defined as heritage but worth protecting is missing from the general understanding of the definition. The idea of identifying these practices and modern architecture and artefacts before they come ‘old’ is also not widely understood by the public leading to modern architecture and practice being undervalued. Demonstrating how skate culture at the Buszy and the music and dance at the International Festival are part of the cultural fabric of Milton Keynes would attract more young people into the heritage sector, as many don’t realise that they are already a part of it.
I think being from Milton Keynes, permanence will always feel like a luxury and being surrounded by somewhere ‘old’ will always feel like an event. However, I am starting to realise the value in the modern and the intangible and feel a sense of responsibility for it.
Demonstrating how skate culture at the Buszy and the music and dance at the International Festival are part of the cultural fabric of Milton Keynes would attract more young people into the heritage sector, as many don’t realise that they are already a part of it. - Isobel
Heritage, Innovation and Change
Lara Garrett
Visiting heritage sites has always been a favourite pastime, but my understanding of their purpose has shifted massively. When I was younger, heritage was synonymous with continuity. I saw historic houses as preserving and passing down a single, consistent view of the past. Yet over time, I’ve come to associate heritage with quite the reverse: change.
For me, heritage sites have unrivalled potential to tell new stories about the past, and in so doing provoke reflection upon current issues. It is through this that heritage acquires meaning and ensures its continued relevance to a younger, politicised generation.
A recent example of fascinating, impactful heritage work was the 2018 ‘To Stop Her Mouth’ exhibition at Lyme Park, a National Trust property in Cheshire. In an immersive audio experience through the house, visitors learned about the abduction of wealthy heiress Ellen Turner during the early 1800s, and were encouraged to consider the ways in which her voice was silenced and doubt cast upon her claims. Chillingly evocative of how often women’s testimonies are disbelieved today, the exhibition left a lasting impression on me.
The audio format made the exhibition particularly moving and engaging, and really underscored the importance of experimenting with new means of communicating narratives to visitors. While I have been to Lyme dozens of times, I made a trip specially to experience this exhibition. Through it, I was encouraged to connect with Lyme in a whole new way: to see beyond the well-known stories and realise the significance of heritage in feeding contemporary debates, in this case regarding gender.
This is just one example of some of the fantastic innovative work being done in the heritage sector. However, there is still much to do in order to ensure that narratives told by historic sites are inclusive and accessible – which will help to attract more younger visitors. In an age of social responsibility, heritage sites need to be prepared to engage with all aspects of their past, even those which are unsettling.
Through revising and challenging – rather than simply cementing – views about the past, heritage secures its meaning in the present.
When I was younger, heritage was synonymous with continuity. I saw historic houses as preserving and passing down a single, consistent view of the past. Yet over time, I’ve come to associate heritage with quite the reverse: change. - Lara
What does heritage mean to me?
Olivia Gooseman
Heritage, what does that word make you think of? For many of us, heritage is the past and what we have inherited from it. The word heritage has been around for many years and has many different definitions. However, heritage is a lot broader than what is originally thought. There is so much to heritage that we don’t think about. Heritage is about communicating the past and preserving it for the future. When you think of heritage you think of the usual heritage sites; castles, cultural landscapes, museums but really it can involve traditions, food, music, clothing, diversity, accents and art. When visiting heritage, it is about being an educational yet fun and entertaining experience, different sites use different ways of bringing heritage alive for us through re-enactments to augmented reality.
With heritage sites and venues not being the first place 16-24-year olds want to go, different ways need to be incorporated into attracting these certain types of visitors. As a 21-year-old, the word heritage can sound a little boring, but from studying a tourism management degree, my eyes have been opened to the different types of heritage that is all around us and how it isn’t boring at all. When I think of heritage I don’t just think of historic buildings and art collections, I think about the tangible and intangible aspects of it, heritage is certain things like an old recipe that has been passed on from generation to generation, an old family heirloom that your grandpa told you to never lose. Heritage is all around us all the time without even knowing it. It is there to help bring the past back to life and has a strong connection to nostalgia.
As the heritage sector continues to develop and grow with the times, it is important not to leave certain audiences behind. There are always new ways of engaging visitors to meet their wants and needs. Heritage is about communicating the past, to allow for visitors to learn and experience something new. With technologies changing, heritage sites are always coming up with new ways to attract visitors and stay relevant.
Heritage is used in every country and without heritage, the tourism sector wouldn’t thrive as much as it does. Heritage allows a country to operate and some countries rely on it a lot more than others. Food festivals, wine tours and whisky tasting- these are all a part of heritage. Heritage is sometimes what brings smaller places together, places that don’t necessarily have the more traditional sense of heritage can still be rich in heritage. Places tied to natural landscapes, industrial pasts or local traditions- something that brings local communities together. Heritage gives communities a sense of belonging, pride and identity, it allows them to come together, look at the past and see how far they have come. The word heritage holds a lot of different meanings but really heritage is all around us and is there to allow for us to learn and adapt with it.
Heritage is sometimes what brings smaller places together, places that don’t necessarily have the more traditional sense of heritage can still be rich in heritage. Places tied to natural landscapes, industrial pasts or local traditions- something that brings local communities together. - Olivia
Feeling a Personal Connection to Heritage
Grace Connelly (SPAB Education and Training Officer, SPAB Scotland Officer and EUROPA NOSTRA UK Support Officer)
My passion for built heritage was started by my grandad. Despite having no formal education, his knowledge of our historic built environment is outstanding, and is a testament to the accessible and inclusive nature of heritage, which he learnt through oral history. When I was young, we would walk through towns and villages and he would talk to me about the buildings, pointing out intricate details and works of craftsmanship. By highlighting all the features and understanding how the whole is made of many parts, I was able to connect with the people of the past who lived and worked in these structures. Through connecting to history by learning, I was able to establish emotional connections, and my love for heritage grew. As an adult, I now find this passion ignited on a daily basis by stories shared on Instagram and Twitter, both from large heritage organisations, and individuals who are simply sharing their passion and knowledge with friends.
This connection that I feel to heritage is personal, and I believe that this is the experience of many others. However, despite the open nature of heritage, it is still somewhat inaccessible to a great deal of young people. We are operating with systems of the past, of conferences and text books, yet are also striving to increase young new audiences and visitors. I believe the recent experience of the global pandemic has reminded many people of the heritage that lies on their doorstep, but it has also shown that new technologies are out there and can be utilised in heritage settings. Visual Reality museums are just one of the ways museums are disseminating their content to a wide audience. These new devices of sharing our heritage are vital for encouraging and nurturing young people’s interest and passion for heritage. I hope that as we emerge into a new post-COVID world, the heritage sector continues to embrace new formats to share knowledge, sites and collections. This is a sector which naturally cultivates lifelong supporters and by using technologies which are common-place to young people, you are tailoring your content to the most valuable audience.
Furthermore, the open nature of social media and other digital technologies provide a platform for young people to confidently demonstrate their skills and innovative ideas as valuable assets for the sector. To encourage more young people to get involved and stay involved in heritage, you must provide them employment in roles where they can feel valued and provide a platform for them to have a voice. There is still a great deal of stigma against people who are young, which I have personally faced on many occasions. By providing young people the opportunity to have an important, visible role in heritage organisations, we can continue to break the stigma that young people are less worthy than their more experienced peers. After all, young people ARE the future of heritage.
By providing young people the opportunity to have an important, visible role in heritage organisations, we can continue to break the stigma that young people are less worthy than their more experienced peers. - Grace
Retelling Stories and Creating New Experiences
Shona Burns (Masters Student, Heritage and Exhibition Design)
As a 23-year-old, studying for an MFA in Heritage and Exhibition Design - it is no surprise that heritage means a lot to me. I can trace this interest back, to holidays and school trips, visiting exciting and wonderful heritage sites, but I do think that might be part of the problem. If a heritage site has not changed since I was a child, why would I want to go back now? While heritage is important to me, I probably have a lovely memory, which I may ruin the illusion of. Because of this, I think that updating and retelling the stories of our heritage sites might a way to engage more young people to visit. I think one way to do this is by creating more interactive and technological based exhibits.
We can do this by expanding upon what is already in a site. By creating another experience or event, we can encourage visitors – not just young people – to visit multiple times. I am an advocate for utilising technology within heritage sites. I think it can create a well-rounded, multi-sensory experience. One that does not just tell you about the past but shows you.
My favourite thing about heritage sites is the story telling, but it is silly to think that the best stories are told through panels on the wall and objects. They are about the voices, the atmosphere, the feeling of a place. If we utilise technology, we can breathe live back into heritage in a very simple way. We can give noise back to silent dining halls, give live tours from light and airy ghosts and feel the life a site used to have. These events could be one night only, or they could be year-round. They could be escape rooms within the site itself or an auxiliary space with extra information or even just simply, sounds projected within a room which hint to how it would have been used in the past.
Whatever the reason, by not accommodating for young people the heritage sector is missing out on a lot. Young people are the future of the heritage sector. There is a lot of talk about future proofing collections, but what about future proofing audiences and workforces. By creating incentives and exciting projects within the heritage sector, we can engage more young people. I think there is this idea that young people are an evasive group, when – in reality - we just don’t see ourselves reflected in heritage. I think by reaching out more to young people, by engaging with the available technology and by creating incentives heritage sites would not struggle to secure the elusive “young person.”
I think there is this idea that young people are an evasive group, when – in reality - we just don’t see ourselves reflected in heritage. I think by reaching out more to young people, by engaging with the available technology and by creating incentives heritage sites would not struggle to secure the elusive “young person.” - Shona
Thank you for exploring this webpage! We hope it has provided useful insights into what young people value about heritage and how they would like to engage with the sector into the future.
The Heritage Debate 2020 will be taking place on 23 November 2020 and is free and open to all. Book your place here:
The Heritage Alliance is grateful to Ecclesiastical Insurance for sponsoring the Heritage Debate 2020.
Image credits: (background) Lloyd Winters, Alexandra Park and Palace ('Wild in the Park' and 'Rhythm Stix'). (In blogs) 'Birchills on the canal in the Black Country Living Museum, Dudley' © Jaggery; 'Campbell Park outdoor theatricals: Part of the International Festival, Milton Keynes' © Philip Jeffrey; Lyme Park (Image 1434360) ©National Trust Images/Chris Lacey; 'Minecraft at Kenilworth' © English Heritage; Augmented Reality experience at Alexandra Palace, © Lloyd Winters/Alexandra Palace. All other images were supplied by the blog writers.