“Everyone has a personal idea of heritage”

Maria Adebowale-Schwarte speaks from her experience of every community caring about it’s heritage

• What does heritage mean to you?
• How do you think the concept of heritage is evolving and changing?

I think everyone obviously has a personal idea of what heritage is. For me it’s about the experience of the place, the sense of place, the physicality of it. Green spaces, buildings and the activity that takes form; whether between or within those spaces. It’s an essential part of vibrant place making.

It’s both a tangible and intangible — something which you feel connected to or disconnected from. It might be about your cultural experience or your historical knowledge of a space, a place, a skill, a species or a story.

And, as the data in the Heritage Index suggests, heritage can be complex. For example, one indicator of the Index shows that visits to museums in Tower Hamlets are 10 percent lower than the national average. Why is that? Is that because what we’re doing in preserving heritage in the museum doesn’t reflect the diverse communities and the people and the heritage in that area? Or is it because of cuts to budgets? The data needs to be there to unpick these kind of questions.

But, what is clear is that we need to understand participation and conversation around heritage. So understanding what participatory models work best at engaging a diverse nation on its stories and experiences of national heritage — is crucial. Equally as crucial is the support of people, government, and the heritage sector to fund, celebrate and advocate for the value of heritage.

I’ve never yet worked with a community who has said they are not interested in protecting heritage for now and the future. There’s lots of activism, lots of interest and lots of passion. The Heritage Index reflects some of those connections. It’s early days so of course the Index needs to be refined, constantly updated and reviewed, but it is a catalyst for inclusive decision-making around heritage on — where we are, how we got there, and what needs to happen next.

Listen to Maria and other contributors to the RSA’s debate: Why Heritage is Our Future

Maria Adebowale-Schwarte is Director of Living Space Project, a think tank and social enterprise focusing on collaborative urban place-making and green spaces. She is a former commissioner for English Heritage and serves on a number of the Boards and Advisory groups.