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 →

‘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’ →

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 →

Personal reflections on home, heritage and Heimat

Just over a year ago, I moved back to the south of Germany, and specifically the Swabian Alps, where I was born and grew up. One unexpected aspect of this has been my awareness of the landscape and culture here, and their impact on my experience of home, heritage and Heimat. Home I haven’t lived … Continue reading Personal reflections on home, heritage and Heimat →

The Discriminatory Practice of Heritage?

At the end of August, I participated in the fantastic Association of Critical Heritage Studies’ 2020 Futures online conference. There were many interesting papers but the one that really stuck with me was on Reconstruction, Spatial Reclamation and Restorative Justice by Prof. Erica Avrami of Columbia University. Prof. Avrami referred to the 2018 Warsaw Recommendation … Continue reading The Discriminatory Practice of Heritage? →

Good-bye heritage? Reflections on changing sectors

Next week, I will take up a new post and in doing so, I will formally be leaving the heritage and museum sectors that I have worked in over the past years. From now on, I will be working in the further education and socio-cultural sector. I will admit that when I first read … Continue reading Good-bye heritage? Reflections on changing sectors →