Connecting People and Places project

The project is designed to increase recognition of how migrant and communities of diverse ethnic heritage have influenced heritage across England.

The project focuses on six regions:

  • North-West
  • Midlands:
  • South-West
  • North-East and Yorkshire
  • East
  • London & South-East

It is contributing to Historic England’s work to enrich understanding of the buildings and places that are important to our national history.

The project gives these communities a voice, provides learning and development for the students working on it, and helps them to develop their portfolio to show future employers. 

  • Phase 1 – Research and report 
  • Phase 2 – Public engagement and facilitating collaboration between communities and the heritage and built environment sector

Podcast Series

The release of this podcast is part of the second phase of Connecting People and Places project.  Our first two episodes will be released on the 4th January, with the following four episodes being released on a fortnightly basis. 

Listen to the podcast

Research Report

Here is the report published as part of Phase 1, which answers the question: ‘How have BAME communities had a voice in the planning and design of sites that are significant to them?

Download the report

Phase 2 will build on the work and learning from Phase 1 through reaching out to a wider audience and encouraging them to consider how communities of diverse ethnic heritage have got and can get involved in the architecture and heritage sector. This will be achieved through sharing the insights we have gained by means of a podcast and an exhibition. The podcast series explores giving a platform in this sector to more within these communities. The exhibition will share best practice of community involvement with their built environment and guidance from professionals, such as the architectural and heritage consultancy practice, Purcell, of how more people can be equally successful in engaging with heritage and architecture. 

The podcast launches early January with the exhibition taking place in the first half of 2022, with more information to follow in the new year.

Find out more

Discover more about our Connecting People and Places research project below.

What is heritage consultancy?

This document was prepared by Purcell, an architectural and heritage consultancy practice, for Blueprint for All which sets out a discussion on heritage and the guiding principles of heritage consultancy. This framework is structured around three main sections: how historic buildings are protected, managing change to historic buildings and understanding historic buildings.

Find out more

Video

Watch a short video capturing the key learnings from the research

View video
One thing I found really interesting during the research project, was the absolute focus on the community itself. We used the community to guide us and to navigate us to the right information that could never be found in books. It made collecting our findings more meaningful.
Ayshah Begum

Soundbites

Hear soundbites from some of the people interviewed

Listen here

Case Studies

Read about the sites our students visited.

Read here

Building Careers

Discover more about our work to help young people begin and build their careers in a variety of industries.

Find out more