On Monday 11th December Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, will be taking your questions in an interactive audio podcast – the first in our occasional series of ‘Your Place or Mine? Debates’
Following on from the successful ‘Your Place or Mine? Engaging New Audiences with Heritage’ Conference, here’s your chance to ask Simon about his views on involving communities in the historic environment and how we can take on board different personal and cultural views of heritage.
The podcast is a means for you to have direct a direct interaction with Simon, either by leaving questions below (click on ‘Join the debate’) or leaving your own voice message on
020 7 193 2807
If calling, remember to leave your name and organisation, so we know who you are. Those leaving their questions as voice will have the question incorporated directly into the podcast!
Thedeadline for questions Friday 8th Dec. The podcast will go live on the blog on Tuesday 12th December. Once up, do feel free to extend the conversation by leaving further comments on the blog. It’s also an opportunity for the community at large to debate Simon’s answers!
Who else do you have burning questions for? Email us back at this address with names of other people you’d like to engage with!
The final words came from Maria Adebowale, Director of Capacity Global.
She highlighted conference threads; that the heritage sector does have a social responsibility and engaging wider audiences is going to be difficult, but the more strands existent within English heritage, the richer it becomes.
The work required is about “our place” and addressing diversity, which is gender, race, disability, accent, region, how people define themselves and many other things. Additionally it includes mutuality and the removal of associated barriers.
Thanks were given to all those who have participated in making the conference work.
Selected images from the end of conference performance:
Poet-in-residence Rosie Garner and her team of ‘Text Collectors’ asked delegates to contribute their thoughts and ideas about the issues raised during the conference to create a poem that was performed as part of the closing performance.
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown is an author, broadcaster and weekly columnist for the Independent and Evening Standard.
“Africans were in Britain long before the English were”, (Peter Fryer) was quotedto make the point that people are shocked by this as they don’t realise that Africans migrated to the UK along with the Romans.
Peter Fryer was someone who attempted to change and challenge the truth about black and Asian history in Britain. There’s also an untold story of Islamic slavery; in the first century after Islam, slaves were taken from the east African coast and “mercilessly abused,”. Telling one side of the story is wrong.
The next challenge is more than inclusion - it’s a very difficult conversation about history and heritage and the good and bad of it. The questions are not simply who we are and who owns our heritage, but all the tribes in our country need to ask:
“Would we be who we are without deep interactions with one another?”
Living in the West has given us freedoms, allowed us to open up our lives. Now is the time to ask some interesting questions about being open to each other.
Contrasting opinions of Britishness exist within ‘New Labour’ which need to be addressed:
David Lammy’s view as spoken about at the conference.
And Gordon Brown’s version, as mediated through the press.
Discussion of heritage should be approached in terms of its widest interpretation. When we buy into a collective heritage and explore it for what it is, we can understand so much more.
Click to download a soundbite from Yasmin or press play below:
‘How can organisations shift their corporate thinking to embed access and diversity into all working practices?’
Ling Wong’s opinion was that organisations, as part of society, still don’t often look into the intrinsic qualities of people that drive forward diversity change, and organisations need to shift their position and see themselves as part of the community, not outside of it.
Boniface stipulated that organisations should develop a shared understanding of what is meant by ‘access’ and ‘diversity’, then adopt strategies for change that are consistent with the culture they operate within. Senior management should be committed role models.
Sutton explained the challenges faced by The Environment Agency to encompass diversity, and claimed they were tough but necessary, involving a change of image and service delivery in order to attract a range of people.
Hedley felt the process of ensuring accessibility in organisations must run through every thread of action. He quoted Martin Luther King:“Shallow understanding from well-intentioned people is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill-will.”
Audience Q & A insued. Delegates wanted more information on initiating cultural change and increasing diversity amongst the workforce.
Sutton gave examples of his organisation’s experience, such as examination and alteration of the qualification specifications for certain positions, and the re-wording of job adverts so as not to alienate certain groups of people.
One delegate raised the point that while change may be necessary, people need to experience why it is important or it’s meaningless to them.
Click to download a soundbite from Judy Ling Wong or press play below:
Click to download a soundbite from Rob Sutton or press play below:
Marika Spence, performed in the community play on day one of the conference and is involved with Trafford Youth Service
It is essential to engage and inspire young people about heritage if the future is to preserve the past. The workshop looked at two issues:
Kelly spoke about the five-year grant-awarded Young Roots programme – a funding provider for young people’s heritage projects. ‘The key to obtaining grants is getting young people participating in projects from the outset.’
Points to consider when bidding include:
What heritage skills do you have? For example, what is your equipment?
What personal development skills (e.g. presentation) do you possess?
What new skills (e.g. drama, dance) can you employ?
Click to download Andy Kelly’s soundbite or press play below:
Vayani presented on his work at Leicester-based Youth Voice regarding a project ‘Creating Tomorrow’s Heritage Today’. Young Roots had supported this. It reflected the cultural diversity in Leicester and found ways of involving young people from all backgrounds.
Gleaves gave a short presentation on an arts and heritage project with Quarry Bank Mill in Styal, funded by Young Roots. She stressed the importance of establishing ground rules in partnerships to help build relationships and avoid communication breakdown.
Before the workshop closed, delegates discussed the issues highlighted and gave feedback, raising points such as:
Be clear about aims and goals
Manage expectations from both sides
Make the project relevant to the young people’s lives
Make the project finite, but what is the value and sustainability beyond?
Heritage.
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