Across the College of Arts and Law, academics are leading research projects contending with the legacies of imperialism in cultural heritage sites.
Dr Kate Nichols, Associate Professor in Art History, is trying to reimagine how Victorian art is interpreted and displayed, in a manner more befitting of a modern gallery or museum and its diverse audiences. From 2020-23, she co-convened the British Art Network research group, Race, Empire and the Pre-Raphaelites: Decolonising Victorian Art and Design, with the University of Exeter’s Dr Sabrina Rahman and Victoria Osborne at Birmingham Museums Trust.
The network brought together over 90 academics, activists, and artists across the world for a series of workshops on how Victorian art should be presented to modern audiences. “It created a space for academics, artists, and museum professionals to share and develop their knowledge, experiences, and to develop our confidence when it comes to drawing attention to the histories of empire and racism carried by Victorian art and design objects,” explains Dr Nichols.
Initial focus was on examining Birmingham’s extensive collections of Pre-Raphaelite and Arts and Crafts works. The final output of the project was a practical resource pack aimed at, and written in collaboration with, museums and galleries wishing to address similar issues with their nineteenth-century art collections.
Similarly, Dr Faye Sayer, Associate Professor in Heritage and History and Director of the International Centre for Heritage, is trying to address why some people from diverse backgrounds report having negative experiences of heritage sites. This is particularly concerning given her recent, groundbreaking research that proves that heritage sites can generally boost people’s sense of wellbeing.
Evidence suggests some of this disparity is down to the imperialist legacies of some sites, which exclude the histories of minority groups. Dr Sayer’s new research project, ‘Heritage Sites and Transformative Partnerships’, is using a behavioural model to develop localised, culturally relevant strategies that promote more diverse participation at two heritage sites in the US (the Biltmore Estate, North Carolina, and the Nemours Estate, Delaware).
Dr Sayer and her team are discovering the causes of minority groups’ negative experiences in heritage sites and co-creating new people-centred narratives that reflect the sites’ diverse hidden histories. “We’re supporting heritage sites to positively affect the wellbeing of all visitors, helping them play a pivotal role in tackling wider inequalities experienced in society,” says Dr Sayer.
Professor Joy Porter, Professor of Indigenous and Environmental History, also thinks heritage sites around the world are experiencing a lack of diversity. She attributes this largely due to the view that they symbolise imperialism and oppression. But her ‘Historic Houses, Global Crossroads’ research project with the Treatied Spaces Research Group is exploring how historic sites can present themselves in new ways, revisioning themselves as global crossroads of intercultural exchange.
The project centres on two historic houses and grounds in Northern Ireland, the Clandeboye Estate and the National Trust’s Mount Stewart, where multiple initiatives are helping to open up the sites to new audiences and interpretations. From immersive experiences and guided trails to podcasts and collaborations with the Forest School community, all of the project’s activities are linked to the global crossroads theme and helping to create a model that could be replicated in the heritage sector worldwide.
“By ensuring that they serve as transformative sites of inclusion, rather than division, the project is helping historic sites to unlock new meanings for multiple communities,” says Professor Porter. “Interdisciplinary work of this sort is new and challenging, but we think it’s one of the best ways academics can help generate lasting benefit for heritage industries and for local and international communities of all kinds.”
Associate Professor in Art History
Biographical and contact information for Dr Kate Nichols, Associate Professor in Art History at the University of Birmingham.
Associate Professor in Heritage and History
Academic profile of Dr Faye Sayer, Associate Professor in Heritage and History, University of Birmingham, UK
Professor of Indigenous and Environmental History
Biographical and contact information for Professor Joy Porter, Professor of Indigenous and Environmental History at the University of Birmingham.
