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In conversations about the value of culture, arts and heritage there has been little mention of archaeology, despite the significant funding it attracts through the development-control system. This is perhaps because most of the work we do is conducted behind hoardings, hidden from public view. Results are slow to be shared and our traditional methods of communicating rely on dense, printed media.
A British Academy report of 2017 stated that ‘archaeology has the power to transform lives’ and work on the potential of archaeology to contribute to accepted measurements of wellbeing has illustrated the positive benefits people report after experiencing archaeology, handling artefacts and even just being in proximity to historic places.
How can these two realities be brought together to ensure that our work is providing the public benefit we know it is capable of? Like many other aspects of cultural heritage, archaeology provides a method of thinking about the world as well as being a source of knowledge creation but opportunities for meaningful participation are rare.
I will present my current Fellowship research, which seeks to embed these concepts into our practice, with refocused outcomes situating public benefit as the priority. This will involve extensive consultation exploring how we can focus our research, methods and communications to embed value in our work. The past belongs to all of us and it is our role to facilitate access and empower communities to contribute to knowledge creation.
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