The government’s Levelling Up Prospectus (March 2021) announced ‘Cultural Investment’ as one of the cornerstones of the government’s Levelling Up agenda, with ‘creative repurposing’ a prominent central strand. It sets out a vision for local place-based renewal through ‘creatively repurposing museums, galleries, visitor attractions (and associated green spaces) and heritage assets as well as creating new community-owned spaces to support the arts and serve as cultural spaces’.

This special seminar from the IHR’s Centre for the History of People, Place and Community, linked to an IHR project funded by the Higher Education Innovation Fund, explores ‘creative repurposing’ in urban regeneration and development, including the adaptive re-use of historic buildings, together with the ‘creative repurposing’ of less tangible heritage: local stories, heritage and traditions. Researchers on the project will give micro-presentations on their place-based case studies: Barking & Dagenham, Coventry, and Sunderland. This will be followed by a panel discussion, and then Q&A and wider discussion with the audience.

Join the seminar to learn more about intersections between heritage, conservation and place policy, discover examples of best practice, and explore some of the questions, challenges and opportunities arising from ‘creative repurposing’ initiatives.

Join the conversation online with @CHPPC_IHR / #CreativeRepurposing

Speakers include:

  • Catherine Croft (Director, Twentieth Century Society)
  • Owain Lloyd-James (Head of Places Strategy and Levelling Up, Historic England)
  • Catherine Clarke (Director of the Centre for the History of People, Place and Community, IHR)
  • Rachel Delman (IHR project researcher)
  • Mark Liebenrood (IHR project researcher)
  • Jon Winder (IHR project researcher) Chaired by Matt Bristow, (Institute of Historical Research / Historic England).