Back to Basics: Interpretation 101

Yesterday was my first time visiting the Castle at Ellwangen and its small museum. As far as I can gather, the castle itself is in the care of the State of Baden-Württemberg, at least it’s listed on their website and some of the signs make mention of the agency. The museum, which occupies but a … Continue reading Back to Basics: Interpretation 101 →

Thoughts inspired by the Salam Seoul Festival

It was with some bemused puzzlement this week past that I read an article in The Korea Times about the Salam Seoul Festival. It was the headline that immediately attracted my heritage studies interest: ‘Hijab, hanbok mixed to create modest fashion’. The hanbok, as we know at least since the Beijing Winter Olympics, is considered … Continue reading Thoughts inspired by the Salam Seoul Festival →

On Wachtzeit – an experiment

I have on a few occasions on this blog mentioned a project that we’ve done with our local Roman history museum. We’ve recently completed our internal debrief as well as a reflective session with a consultancy hired by the funder, so now I feel it’s time to share some insights from what I thought was … Continue reading On Wachtzeit – an experiment →

New Heritage(s) Through Migration

At my current job, we’ve now done several projects that have drawn on Third Space as a methodology [1]. What has come up over and over again is the need for something new to emerge through the Third Space – a new shared concept of community, a new shared understanding of an issue, a new … Continue reading New Heritage(s) Through Migration →

Heritage is a personal story

Confession: I have never really understood people’s obsession with researching their family history. This may sound odd coming from someone whose background is in heritage studies. After all, the benefits family researchers describe – a strengthened sense of identity, connection, empathy, even resilience – to this day form the backbone of many national and international … Continue reading Heritage is a personal story →

On visiting the Anne Frank House

For a long time now, I have been wanting to visit the Anne Frank House. This Monday past, I finally got the opportunity. My experience, however, was different to what I had expected. Let me explain. Like most, if not all of us, I had read Anne Frank’s diary as a child. I remember being … Continue reading On visiting the Anne Frank House →

Innovative projects, innovative funding: a reflection

Last week, we had our final project team meeting for our Erasmus + funded project on Third Space. As part of this, we discussed some very interesting points around funding. I’d like to share some of these here alongside my own thinking. Instead of outputs and results: processes and outcomes… We noted the issue around … Continue reading Innovative projects, innovative funding: a reflection →

‘Human Remains’, Or: Dignity, communal value and the construction of ‘ancestry’

I was pleasantly surprised to read an article in one of the recent newsletters from the UK Museums Association about a database of ancient ‘human remains’ collated by an organisation called Honouring the Ancient Dead (HAD). Dignity I appreciated the reference in the article to HAD’s challenge to the term ‘human remains’. According to this … Continue reading ‘Human Remains’, Or: Dignity, communal value and the construction of ‘ancestry’ →

Before I can go on

I need to write this purely personal post before I can continue. I am a firm believer in the relevance of thinking about identities, and this has featured often on my blog [1]. Unsurprisingly, I have also thought a lot about my own identities and how they connect me to others and the world around … Continue reading Before I can go on →

Handing over Power, or: Diversity in the Heritage Sector

At the start of November, the UK Art Fund published a report on diversity in the arts and heritage sectors. Specifically, the report reviews the impact of diversity initiatives on curatorial roles since 1998. However, it also makes important observations on how the current structure of museums may stand in the way of diversity – … Continue reading Handing over Power, or: Diversity in the Heritage Sector →