Creative Heritage

What is Creative Heritage?

Our Creative Heritage projects began in 2013 when WoW was approached by the Garrett family to work on the archive of George Garrett (1896-1966), seafarer, writer and staunch political activist. Shortly after, and on seeing the success of our work with the Garrett archive, a longtime Liverpool 8 activist approached us with a collection of records that would be the basis for the Great War to Race Riots archive project.

The Creative Heritage formula was established and generated a unique way for communities to engage with history and archive material, whilst creatively documenting and responding to their experience. We have since applied the Creative Heritage formula to the L8 Law Centre, Liverpool Anti Racist Community Arts Association and, most recently, the Dorothy Kuya archive. 

Our Creative Heritage projects have been featured in local and national news and on television. We have published books through the research generated from our projects, theatre performances, visual art, podcasts, blogs, social media campaigns, poetry, walking tours, workshops and more.

The Creative Heritage model encompasses four key strands: 

1. Archives – Under the guidance of archive specialists, participants engage in weekly cataloguing sessions, working through the collection and deepening their connection to the past by the physical handling of the archive. The project archivist will then professionally archive and catalogue the collection for public access.
2. History – Our Creative Heritage projects begin with a four-week long educational course, where we explore the historical context of the archive, to deepen participants’ understanding of the collection and the significance of their role in its preservation.
3. Creativity – Once participants have engaged with the archive material, they are then guided by the project team and commissioned artists, and other relevant professionals to research and creatively interpret the events described in the archive. This has been done through blog writing, poetry, literature, theatre, visual art, walking tours, podcasts and more.
   
4. Co-Production – Following skills training and confidence building, our participants deliver their creative output to a public audience at our annual WoWFEST and Black History Month festivals. We also showcase our Creative Heritage in museums, schools and universities. Participants become the guardians of specialist knowledge and are therefore upskilled and empowered by presenting their findings, not only to the public but to students, academics and other professionals.

Learn more about our individual Creative Heritage projects: George Garrett, Great War to Race Riots, L8 Law Centre, Dorothy Kuya. 

If you’re interested in exploring further or discussing a commission, feel free to reach out to Janaya@writingonthewall.org.uk.