Even though it is related to the memory of things past, Heritage is a modern idea; and as such it’s an idea that is, like its subject, still in continuous development. Similar, but not quite like History, heritage is the use we make in the present of the remains of the past, be they objects, buildings, landscapes, or practices.
To some, heritage might mean a Sunday drive to a country house. To others, it is the right to speak a language or celebrate a festival without fear of imprisonment or torture. It is also an idea that raises all sort of questions – if the purpose of heritage is to preserve the past, then for how long? And for whom?
Set in an historic house, on the edge of one of Britain’s first and most important conservation areas, this course will explore the varied and exciting world of contemporary heritage, introducing you to key ideas, as well as stories from the past and the present, in which we remember the act of remembering.
It is also an opportunity to put ideas into practice. We’ll be asking each of you to bring along a story about heritage from your home- a problem from the past, that needs fixing the present; and during the course, we’ll explore how we might address it in the future.
