Whose Heritage Matters

The Whose Heritage Matters project was designed to understand whether, and if so how, cultural heritage could be mobilised to support more sustainable and just urban futures in Cape Town (South Africa) and Kisumu (Kenya). Our goal was to co-produce the project with local partners through:

  • mapping tangible and intangible cultural heritage meanings and values
  • enabling the making of cultural heritage through active interventions and
  • mobilising knowledge and partnerships to support the strategic role of heritage in policy and civic action.

The collaboration underpinning the project was supported by the Mistra Urban Futures network which enabled researchers in the UK, South Africa and Kenya, working on the intersections between culture, justice and the city, to form and test partnerships. Our action-oriented approach meant grounding the project in locally-produced understandings of critical challenges and opportunities to mobilise cultural heritage for sustainable futures.

Our action-oriented approach meant grounding the project in locally-produced understandings of critical challenges and opportunities to mobilise cultural heritage for sustainable futures.

A central aim was to critically explore what international targets and agendas for cultural heritage and sustainable development mean in the context of entrenched and everyday urban challenges. The collaboration underpinning the project was supported by the Mistra Urban Futures network which enabled researchers in the UK, South Africa and Kenya, working on the intersections between culture, justice and the city, to form and test partnerships.

Cape Town Report: 

Kisumu Report:

Slide Pack: