Exploring the intricate relationship between heritage and wellbeing

“Heritage is all around us, it’s there for us, it’s part of us, and I think that it’s really important that we start to understand the power of heritage.” says Dr Faye Sayer, Director of the International Centre for Heritage. And her research aims to do just that: exploring the wellbeing benefit of heritage sites and how different groups' experiences of and participation in heritage affects their mental health.

Understanding the connection

Through global partnerships with historic houses, museums, and archaeological sites, Dr Sayer has been able to demonstrate that public engagement with heritage has the ability to support healthier and happier societies. They give opportunities to connect with people in the past and present, spaces to forget about daily troubles, and spaces to heal trauma.

Her pioneering study, ‘Creating healthier societies through heritage’, provided evidence for the first time of the wellbeing boost of heritage sites for visitors. By partnering with a range of heritage locations across the UK, USA, and India, the research outlines strategies and guidelines to help heritage initiatives enhance both personal and social wellbeing. Continuing the project, Dr Sayer is creating targeted programmes aimed at promoting broader community wellbeing through heritage engagement.

A key aspect of Dr Sayer’s work is developing strategies for heritage organisations to attract more diverse audiences, so that the wellbeing boost they provide can be accessible to all.

‘Heritage Sites and Transformative Partnerships’ is a project led by Dr Sayer within the International Centre for Heritage. A multidisciplinary, partnership project between the UK and US, it is applying a behavioural model to designing localised and culturally relevant strategies that encourage more diverse participation at three historic estates: the Biltmore Estate, Nemours Estate, and Chatsworth House. Through work with diverse communities and non-traditional audiences, the project team are uncovering the barriers and co-creating new people-centred narratives that reflect the sites’ diverse hidden histories.

Dr Sayer explained: “Working with communities, heritage organisations and policymakers around the world, we are testing how effective community-centred interventions are in supporting people to be and feel valued, and if this approach can help reduce well-being inequalities and mental distress experienced by specific individuals and communities.”

Taking a creative approach

For Dr Francesco Ripanti, Assistant Professor in Heritage and History, wellbeing provides a new lens through which heritage can be viewed, setting a new agenda for an industry struggling for relevance. Through an interdisciplinarity approach, Dr Ripanti is developing creative projects that are providing new value to heritage sites for local communities.

“Heritage sites do more than narrate the past — they are a powerful tool for addressing contemporary mental health and wellbeing challenges.” he says. “Partnering with heritage and health organisations, communities, and policymakers around the world, my research investigates how participatory heritage interventions can reduce wellbeing inequalities and alleviate mental distress, especially for vulnerable and marginalized groups.”

His research project, Linking community archaeology and wellbeing in the Mediterranean (LOGGIA), demonstrates how cultural heritage activities can break down barriers to public participation and have a positive impact on the wellbeing of individuals and communities. Working closely with vulnerable groups, Dr Ripanti ran public archaeology programmes that helped restore a heritage site and facilitated the exploration of digital recreations of other heritage sites in Minecraft.

“Heritage encompasses various disciplines like photography, writing, and archaeology, which can be combined to develop projects and activities that engage individuals with diverse backgrounds and interests.” he says.

“When approached creatively, heritage becomes a shared space of co-creation rather than a finished product – fostering solidarity, reciprocity and collective care. This is where community wellbeing comes in.”

Working collaboratively with industry

An important aspect of the work done by the International Centre for Heritage is its close links with key industry organisations. From the National Museum of Wales to Bangalore Fort in India, the Centre’s team has helped evaluate and sustain numerous wellbeing projects.

“We act as a critical friend,” says Dr Sayer, “working collaboratively to develop strategies that benefit organisations, communities and visitors’ wellbeing and wider social values.”

As with the Centre’s ongoing partnership with the Indian Institute of Heritage, the learnings are very much shared. India is more predisposed to valuing and preserving intangible cultural heritage, and Dr Sayer has found many of the country’s heritage sites scored much higher for wellbeing than many heritage sites in the UK during her research.

This summer, the Centre will work with three rural Indian museums to trial some of its wellbeing evaluation tools and explore how they can better benefit their diverse local communities. The Centre will also host three students from the Indian Institute of Heritage as part of the University of Birmingham’s summer school programme, with three International Heritage Management students heading the other way.

“Our central ethos is to provide the tools for cultural organisations, their teams, and communities to flourish, to keep learning, to connect, to be active, take notice and to give.” says Dr Sayer. Through her and Dr Ripanti’s research into heritage sites and their relationship with memory, identity, and belonging, the International Centre for Heritage is helping to make the case around the world for heritage’s vital role in community wellbeing and securing its long-term future for all.