VIRTUAL: Prague Heritages

Abstract

Dynamic migrant community organisations looking to set up heritage projects to collect, preserve and share community memories, oral histories and cultural heritage amongst their own networks and beyond to the wider local and global community face practical and ethical dilemmas. Who decides whose stories are collected and how these might be curated? How might values of equality and inclusion espoused by community organisations be reflected in cultural heritage collecting and curating processes? How do community organisations liaise and negotiate with already established local archives, museums and libraries so that community heritage might be included in these spaces? How can archive, museum and heritage spaces be made more accessible and welcoming to communities? This presentation will consider two large community heritage projects led by London-based umbrella charities, one for a network of refugee communities and one for a network of Irish communities in Britain. Controversies and challenges around the collection, creation and curation of community oral histories and cultural heritage and some of the barriers that sometimes exist between heritage sector libraries, archives and museums and communities will be reflected upon. The presentation will share insight into ways in which these barriers might be negotiated and consider examples of good practice.