Paper short abstract:

Introducing case studies from Iceland, the paper analyses whether and how heritage institutions have succeeded or failed to facilitate community dialog regarding urban heritage and its safeguarding. The research combines legal analysis with critical heritage studies using ethnographic approaches.

Paper long abstract:

Who is willing to break the rules? When are they willing to break the rules? When human remnants were removed from an ancient cemetery, unused since 1839, to be carefully preserved at the National Museum available for research and exhibition, in order to make room for a luxury hotel, a group of protesters demanding sanctuary for the deceased were willing to put the rules to the test. Others were willing to test the rules when faced with the prospect of fewer parking spots. The paper introduces an ongoing doctoral research project examining democratic participation in the safeguarding of cultural heritage, with emphasis on the urban environment. The project analyses the legal framework around cultural heritage as well as the approaches that authorities take to identify and interpret cultural heritage and its safeguarding. Two different cases from Iceland are examined through in-depth interviews, open-ended questionnaires and observational fieldwork. By identifying the different stakes involved and discursive styles that people adopt, the study examines power relations and struggles between authorities and other stakeholders, questioning how participation can be facilitated by authorities in relation to urban heritage. The paper examines whether the legislator has defined the term "stakeholder" too narrowly, thus excluding various groups and individuals who may identify with the heritage in question, creating a structural deficit in the democratic dialog it (cl)aimed to establish. Consequently, the paper discusses how heritage institutions have succeeded or failed to facilitate community dialog in the aftermath of the participative turn.

Paper short abstract:

In the exhibition ‘Animals, People and Traditions’ in the Rotterdam Museum of Natural History and the DCICH gave the floor to practitioners to tell their story and illustrate this with their object. What are the lessons to be learned for the communities and institutions involved?

Paper long abstract:

In the contribution of the Dutch Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage (DCICH) we would focus on the process of co-creation that was followed to materialise the exhibition ‘Animals, People and Traditions’ (Rotterdam Museum of Natural History 23 Jan – 29 August 2021). ICH with animals has to react and adapt to changing sentiments in the broader society concerning animal welfare, and is regularity under attack. The aims of this exhibition were multifold. The exhibition wanted to create a podium where the practitioners of ICH with animals (falconry, sheep herding, cattle markets etc) were given the opportunity to show their practice, knowledge and love for animals to a broader public. The second aim was to carefully engage practitioners and public in questions concerning animals welfare. A ‘table of dialogue‘ in the exhibition was designed in the hope to engage visitors in a dialogue and inspire new thoughts.

Starting point of our approach was that ICH communities would themselves decide what objects were to be shown, what stories to be told.

In the presentation we would focus on how this exhibition has influences the position of the ICH community, and the practice itself (or not). Also we would reflect on the working process. Finally we will reflect together with our partners, the Rotterdam Museum of Natural History about the working process and possible inspirations and pitfalls that we can pinpoint

Paper short abstract:

In this paper we will explore the paths to be considered when thinking about how, when, or why participation is included in institutional decisions about heritage in Barcelona. We claim that participation should be understood as a cultural artifact and thus subjected to ethnographic criticism.

Paper long abstract:

Heritage practitioners are being increasingly requested to embrace greater community participation in heritage and urban planning. Scholars, and this is one of the aims of the Curbatheri project (www.deepcities.eu), are also interested in exploring the impact that community involvement has both for heritage management and for heritage preservation. Since 2015 Barcelona has been the scenario of different institutional participative events and processes characterised by targeted, top-down community participation. In our presentation we will examine participation as a process and a cultural artefact, making its analysis suitable for ethnographic methodologies. With this purpose in mind, we will briefly discuss the participatory processes and dynamics taking place in Barcelona, paying special attention to those that could involve [dissonant] urban heritage.

In our presentation we will argue that more than examining the impact of participatory practices in heritage planning and decision making, it is necessary to adopt an ethnographic eye to observe two main aspects related to the participatory turn. The first is to analyse, document, and interpret what people are doing with heritage in their everyday lives. This is because, while most studies to evaluate public participation in aspects of heritage focus on measuring the amount of people that visit sites, monuments or museums, we would like to argue that more attention should be paid on qualitative approaches. Secondly, we will propose that the use of ethnographic tools to examine participation for urban processes not directly related to heritage may illuminate in unexpected ways discussions on heritage and participation.

Paper short abstract:

Breaking the definitions of community by expanding considerations of scope and scale represents an important shift in the participative turn in heritage. An ongoing ethnography at Madrid’s Beti Jai begs reflection on how these changes affect both participating groups and productions.

Paper long abstract:

Global iterations of inclusion, participation and cohesion are natural solutions to breaking up hegemonic structures and narratives in the heritage sector, specifically regarding historic problems of governance, representation and context. However, they have become additional criteria in an already complex sphere of negotiation. In Spain, the participative turn in heritage has seen slower growth. Yet, one long-term project in Madrid, Beti Jai, has found success by breaking the fuzzier ground rules about heritage practices and participation itself: the definition of community. Expanding the scope and even scale of what constitutes a heritage community or rather a community in heritage practice, has led to a multi-stakeholder conservation effort with professional and nonprofessional groups and mutual construction of the now famous Madrid fronton court. While not without its practical challenges to participation and collaboration, it represents an important shift in heritage practices and the play of rules, begging practitioners and researchers to reflect on how these changes affect the productions themselves, the roles institutions have in adapting to them, and how these episodes in heritage making shape their own group activity and strategies pertaining to future projects. By analyzing the cultural dynamics, we can begin to identify systemic opportunities and flaws, gain insight on projects charged with similar participatory goals, even beyond the heritage sector. This paper will primarily draw from an ongoing ethnography in Madrid and compare the local issues with other participatory heritage planning around Spain. If a rigorous consideration of the complexity of negotiating heritage is made, possibilities for the heritage sector to navigate delicate transitions toward other goals such as sustainability can be made.

Paper short abstract:

This paper explores approaches for making cultural institutions accessible to migrant communities by integrating participatory work in the organisational structures. Understanding the motivations of the participants and the development of the competences of the staff play key roles in the process.

Paper long abstract:

Over the recent years, cultural heritage institutions have increasingly sought to engage migrant communities in their work. This paper explores approaches for making cultural institutions accessible to culturally diverse communities by integrating participatory work in the organisational structures.

During 2018-2021 Finnish Heritage Agency has been implementing a pilot project called Zoom in on Heritage, which is part of a larger EU-funded CultureLabs project. The participants with migration background have been invited to co-create projects involving photographs and storytelling with the Picture Collections of the Agency. With the aim of developing improved practices, the participatory processes have been documented through collection of feedback and through reflection discussions with the participants and collaborators.

The experiences of the project indicate that in order to encourage engagement, build better partnerships, and to increase the sense of ownership of the communities, the institutions should develop practices for understanding the needs, motivations and interests of the participants. Collaboration with migrant communities requires intercultural skills and consideration concerning sensitive issues, which are competences that the organisations often lack. Yet, working with migrant communities enables the organisations to work on societal issues such as racism or social exclusion.

Participatory work often involves a limited number of staff. Yet, in order to enhance the capacities and to integrate the participatory processes in the organisational structures, more staff members should have the opportunity to learn from the projects. This would lay the groundwork for organisational transformation involving networking, rethinking the collections and shaping the roles of the staff as facilitators.