Linking Communities to Historic Environments

RCAHMS received a research grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to investigate how best to involve and engage communities with their heritage.

The £32,556 funding is one of 44 awards from the AHRC as part of their Connected Communities programme. The new initiative explored the changing nature of communities, their historical and cultural contexts, and their role in sustaining and enhancing quality of life.  The RCAHMS research review – called Linking Communities to Historic Environments – looked at past and present projects from Scotland, the UK and beyond that have worked with communities in understanding and promoting heritage.

The six month project established a panel of experts to analyse engagement styles and establish best practice. The panel also met with representatives from state and voluntary organisations, and community engagement project participants, in a workshop discussing past approaches, current projects and future directions for community engagement with the historic environment. Links to six projects that were used as case studies are available here.

The results will be published as part of the AHRC’s Connected Communities Discussion Paper series. The project also developed a policy briefing and a short summary of review outcomes, and will look to collaborate with other award holders under the Connected Communities Programme.

Linking Communities to Historic Environments is now complete and ran from March to September 2011, led by Dr Alex Hale of RCAHMS. For further information contact alex.hale@rcahms.gov.uk