News
Changing Chalk: The Impact of Covid-19 on visitors to the Sussex Downs
The National Trust, South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) and partners commissioned research to explore how Covid-19 has changed peoples’ relationship with the Sussex Downs. What changes in attitudes and behaviours have resulted from the pandemic and do these bring new opportunities for people to enjoy the Downland that the project could support that impact on equality of access, accessibility and levels of engagement with the Sussex Downs?
This research feeds into the National Lottery Heritage Fund Changing Chalk project to develop activities that will help people to spend more time on the Sussex Downs and enjoy their experience.
Girmit by Nutkhut
Girmit: The story of 20th century Indentured Labour
Girmit is the third part of Ajay Chabbra / Nutkhut’s ‘Defining Moments’ Trilogy. This marks significant historical anniversaries and moments that reflect the rich and complex inter-relationship between Britain and South Asian communities globally. Girmit focuses on the British-Fijian indentured labour diaspora and the legacy of the system of indentured labour instituted following the abolition of slavery.
sam-culture is producing formative evaluation as the project evolves. Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund
Heritage Grants Strategic Framework 4 Review
'Well done, really excellent work. There is so much valuable insight in your report, which I hope the organisation will take on board.’ Dr Kion Ahadi, (former) Head of Evaluation, National Lottery Heritage Fund
NLHF funds a considerable and diverse range of heritage projects, but do such projects achieve robust impacts, effective outcomes and deliver value for money? This evaluation of 48 completed projects included conservation of historic buildings, museum redevelopments, natural heritage and landscape schemes and community initiatives. Key recommendations to help future-proof the fund included building organisational resilience, showing how projects make a quantifiable contribution to heritage and the dissemination of expertise and best practice across the culture and heritage sectors.
With Sarah Bedell and Anna Cullum
What's Your Croydon? Museum of Croydon
What's Your Croydon? Trial and Test
‘It isn't for the Museum to tell people how to interpret the history of Croydon, but for the people who live here to tell us what matters to them.’
A year-long programme of exhibitions and events at Croydon Museum, developed through collaborative programming with community cultural producers. Evaluation is through a Trial and Test approach, to investigate how to make the museum and its collections resonate with residents and communities: listening to local residents and understanding what matters to them is essential to the sustainability and success of the Museum.
Since temporary closure in March 2020 participants have moved projects and content online. The report looked at initial responses from participants, audiences and museum staff to three exhibitions themed around Place with support and enthusiasm for the work shown, the Trial and Test approach and encouraging online engagement, particularly with new audiences. Further evaluation will take place when the project can continue.
Layers of London: New Perspectives on London History
Layers of London Institute of Historic Research NHLF
Every street in London has a story to tell: Layers of London is drawing together these stories. Historic maps of the city, digitised photos and wide-ranging information provided by key partners across London all collected together in a major new online resource. The project is revealing new perspectives on what aspects of heritage matter to individuals and uncovering untold, or ‘invisible’ stories and histories. The project is led by the Institute of Historical Research (IHR), University of London. Partners include: British Library, London Metropolitan Archives, Historic England, National Archives, MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) and a wide range of archives, institutions and community groups. (with Chris Unitt and Anna Cullum)
Garden Museum: welcoming contemporary visitors
‘It doesn’t make any sense that it’s in the centre of London, that it’s in an old church, that it’s in a part of London which has no garden or green space’.
The deconsecrated St Mary of Lambeth church became The Museum of Garden History in 1984 but by this century required a visionary transformation via a £3.4 million National Heritage Lottery award. Evaluations at key stages of this major project have reviewed: the revision of the layout of the church to increase and enhance the display of the collections; the creation of a garden design archive; the opening up of previously unseen areas to the public; how the museum now meets the needs of contemporary visitors; to welcome the local Lambeth community into the museum and the creation of a flexible public space that can host external revenue raising events.
sam-culture Director Pam Jarvis commented ‘reporting on the development of long-term relationships with the local population and the expansion of creative learning activities for all has shown the value of NLHF funding can add in bringing cultural regeneration to an inner-city community’.