How to bring heritage alive for young people
West Cheshire Heritage Forum recently enjoyed an entertaining presentation on the bringing heritage alive for young people by Big Heritage CEO, Dean Paton.
The Cheshire West and Chester Council sponsored group brings together experts and local history groups.
Big Heritage is an award-winning social enterprise that connects museums, schools, and communities with the past.
The Council’s Cabinet Member for A Fairer Future (Poverty, Public Health, Mental Health, Libraries and Culture), Councillor Lisa Denson said:
A big thank you to Dean for his fantastic talk, with so many wonderful examples of how to bring history to life for young people. Dean is an archaeologist by training and an advocate of people doing their own digs in their local communities and even in their back gardens!
He has his own individual take on history, and he began his talk by explaining what he felt motivates so many people to love history. He cited three reasons: learning, feeling a connection (or lack of one) but in his view the most important that it can be such fun – fun to dress up as a gladiator, fun to try old recipes and sing old songs and fun to feel emotions like nostalgia, creepiness and generally feel a bit weird.
He then explained how Big Heritage has developed attractions that, rather than encouraging the hushed tones of museums and art galleries, allows people to interact and have fun with the past. There is a strong emphasis on storytelling.
The introduction of a Plague Doctor in Chester who occasionally roams the city introduces us to medicine through the ages including a “playground of plagues” at Sick to Death. At Deva, a series of Roman characters recount what life was like in Chester during the occupation.
West Cheshire Heritage Forum meets three or four times a year and is composed of representatives from local history societies across the borough and council officers involved in heritage and conservation.
West Cheshire heritage Forum welcomes representatives of local history groups and societies for further information please contact: Cathryn.Eales@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk.