VIRTUAL: Prague Heritages

Abstract

In 2016, the Loughborough Bellfoundry trust was established to protect Taylor’s Bell Foundry (TBF) heritage. The distinctiveness of TBF is that it has been continuously actively producing bells since the 14th Century and is the last and only working bell foundry in the UK. Given its uniqueness as a cultural heritage site, TBF represents a remarkable case study that has received limited research interest. This paper presents a place-based project and provides a distinctive investigation into the local production of souvenirs for the TBF museum, which will reopen in 2024 and launch the locally-made artifacts. Additionally, it investigates the role of sentiment in souvenirs related to heritage memories. To achieve this, the research considers two aspects: authenticity perception and the memories of the foundry staff and local residents. The research was conducted using a participatory approach including a focus group and semi-structured interviews with TBF staff and local residents. An inductive thematic analysis was then adopted to code the transcripts from the focus group and interviews. Different themes emerged from the analysis. For instance, memories seem to imply a link with personal histories. Having TBF allows participants to have a sense of pride and nostalgia. The perception of authenticity in intangible heritage is noticed through the memories of all the participants. These memories include personal stories, craft skills, and senses. Staff seem to have distinctive memories and their curiosity changed over time. The use of identical colours, materials and shapes in the souvenirs suggests clear cues. The findings show that souvenirs act as receptacles for historical and ethnographic narratives.