Engaging Communities in Cultural Heritage

Abstract

This book explores the concepts and practices of participation and community engagement in cultural heritage, examining the impact of the participatory turn in the heritage sector and the key opportunities and challenges it presents. Participation has become a widely used umbrella term in the discourses of heritage institutions, practitioners, and scholars alike. This participatory turn represents a shift towards the active involvement of communities, stakeholders, and the public in decision-making processes, moving away from traditional top-down approaches towards more inclusive and collaborative models in which diverse voices contribute to cultural heritage. While the pluralisation of heritage narratives, meanings, and practices can sometimes give rise to societal tensions, this book argues that broader participation is essential for unlocking heritage’s transformative potential and future-oriented impetus. The book explores these issues through 15 case studies drawn from across the globe and organised into three thematic sections: social inclusion in heritage practices, the role of digital tools in heritage participation, and participatory heritage management and governance. These case studies contribute to emerging debates on expanding the spaces where heritage participation and community engagement take place. Interdisciplinary in nature, this book is intended for scholars and professionals working on cultural heritage, participation, social inclusion, digitisation, management, and community and audience engagement. It is also well-suited for undergraduate and graduate courses that critically examine heritage participation and community engagement in today’s pluralistic societies.