Module 2

Designing Heritage Events

Introduction

Events are a valuable way of raising the profile of cultural heritage sites and importantly, of raising revenue to support heritage. This workshop will examine the role that events can play in the effective communication of heritage, highlight its management challenges and help build new audiences at local, national and international level.

Context

Heritage engagement, community empowerment, participatory design, cultural sustainability, adaptive reuse, storytelling, inclusion, accessibility, regeneration, volunteerism, local identity, placemaking, creative heritage, conservation balance, co-production, cross-sector partnership, event sustainability, cultural innovation, education through heritage, and living heritage.

Content

Key Discussion Points:

1. Balancing Conservation and Contemporary Use

  • Integrating heritage preservation with cultural vibrancy.
  • Managing visitor impact on sensitive heritage environments.
  • Negotiating between protection policies and the need for public engagement.
  • Turning heritage into lived experience through performance, art, and narrative, mixing traditional and contemporary expressions.
  • Using storytelling to connect audiences emotionally and intellectually.

2. Community Engagement and Empowerment

  • Involve local people as active participants, volunteers, and storytellers.
  • Build ownership, pride, and social cohesion through co-creation.
  • Turn heritage from something “visited” into something “lived.”
  • Ensuring free, open access to heritage for diverse audiences.
  • Overcoming barriers of class, disability, and geography.
  • Promoting equality through participatory design.
  • Education and capacity building: creating training and learning pathways in heritage and event management.
  • Supporting intergenerational participation and life-long learning and using events as informal education platforms.

3. Economic and Social Regeneration

  • Using events as catalysts for local economic development and pride.
  • Encouraging secondary spending and small business growth.
  • Measuring social value — wellbeing, belonging, confidence, employability.
  • Maintaining engagement beyond the event itself.

4. Sustainability & Collaborations

  • Financial, environmental, and social sustainability in heritage events.
  • Diversifying income beyond ticketing or grants.
  • Long-term success relies on partnerships, innovation, and adaptable models. Cross-sector collaboration (heritage, tourism, education, and environment) and new technologies (AR/VR, digital outreach) ensure events evolve and remain relevant.

Resources

Rethinking Heritage Futures, Online Workshop “Designing Heritage Events”, 18 March 2025, Nottingham Trent University (NTU), Communication University of China (CUC).

Part 1

Part 2

Case Studies

Saltaire World Heritage Sites (WHS), UK

Brandi Hall-Crossgrove

Story Telling of Heritage:
The Film Exhibition at the Museum

Liu Jun​

Heritage Open Days: Building Community Engagement

Sarah Holloway

Designing Heritage Events
in Chinese Museums: Immersive
Cases

Cai Jing

Kynren. An Epic Tale of England

Matthew Henderson Michael Slavin

Further Resources

Bibliography

English Heritage (2019) Heritage Works: The Use of Historic Buildings in Regeneration. London: English Heritage.

Richards, G. and Palmer, R. (2010) Eventful Cities: Cultural Management and Urban Revitalisation. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Smith, M.K. (2015) Issues in Cultural Tourism Studies. 3rd ed. London: Routledge.

Landorf, C. (2009) ‘Managing for Sustainable Tourism at World Heritage Sites: A Review and Synthesis.’ Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 17(7)

DCMS (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) (2021) Heritage Statement 2021: The Value and Contribution of Heritage to Society. London: UK Government

Silberman, N.A. (2012) ‘Heritage Interpretation and the Public: Examining Heritage Event Practices.’ Public Archaeology, 11(2), pp.85–102.

Mason, R. (2002) Assessing Values in Conservation Planning: Methodological Issues and Choices. Los Angeles: Getty Conservation Institute.

Landry, C. (2000) The Creative City: A Toolkit for Urban Innovators. London: Earthscan

Dicks, B. (2013) Culture on Display: The Production of Contemporary Visitability (or Heritage, Place and Community — choose chapter on community engagement). Bristol: Policy Press.

De la Torre, M. (ed.) (2013) Values and Heritage Conservation. Los Angeles: The Getty Conservation Institute.