Crafting connection: building community cohesion through culture and heritage

On Tuesday, 30 June we discussed how local government can use culture and heritage to craft shared identities in local communities.

Greater Manchester has a rich and diverse heritage that is creative, industrial and political. It is also a place with deep-seated regional inequalities, both compared to the rest of the country and within the city region itself. So how can its history be harnessed to build social cohesion and community connectedness?

Current approaches to expanding access to arts and heritage often focus on targeting people living in deprivation. However, there is a growing shift toward asset-based, place-based models that build community pride, shared identity, and participation through culture, craft, and heritage.

Researchers at The University of Manchester have been collaborating with diverse communities in Rochdale on a place-based participatory project to explore its history and current notions of cohesion and connectedness. The project draws on the history and legacy of Rochdale’s Co-Operative Movement by using crafting methods to promote resilience, belonging and cultural engagement, with participants also joining a citizen’s jury to shape future policy decisions.

Ruth Flanagan and Professor John McAuliffe from the University were joined by three project participants to discuss the findings from this research and the ways local and regional government can use culture, heritage and creativity to share power, skills and knowledge.

Speakers

• Ruth Flanagan, Community Innovation Practitioner, The University of Manchester
• Professor John McAuliffe, Director of Creative Manchester, The University of Manchester
• Maureen, Sue and Donna, Unity is Strength participants and banner-makers