Spotlight on Heritage – Leicester Heritage Hub
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In this edition of the Spotlight on Heritage programme from Soar Sound, John Coster and Rob Watson reflect on the conversations they held at the University of Leicester’s Heritage Hub event—a gathering that brought together people working with archives, collections, stories, and places across our city and county.
What does it mean to make heritage accessible? This question came up repeatedly throughout the day, as university researchers, local historians, museum curators, and community volunteers shared their perspectives. While many collections—whether architectural, digital, or documentary—are available in some form, how easy is it for people to find and connect with them? And once we do connect, how do we make sense of what they represent and why they matter?
How do we decide what to protect or preserve? For some, heritage is about safeguarding physical spaces—historic buildings, street layouts, or industrial sites. For others, it’s about capturing lived experiences and everyday memories: a family recipe, a village magazine, a photograph of a long-lost bus route. What counts as worthy of preservation, and who gets to make that decision?
Are archives only for experts? A number of contributors to the event noted that archives can feel distant or inaccessible to those unfamiliar with them. What would it take to make archives more open, more inviting, more participatory? Could digital tools and platforms help, or do we need to start with different kinds of conversations about what heritage is, and who it belongs to?
What happens when we look at our surroundings differently? From walking tours in overlooked parts of the city to community-led history projects in rural villages, many of the day’s discussions highlighted the power of simply slowing down and paying attention. What stories are hidden in the buildings above shopfronts, the names on street signs, or the objects stored in old cupboards?
And finally, how do we carry these stories into the future? Whether it’s through education, exhibitions, or simply sharing memories with one another, what responsibility do we have to keep local history alive—not as something fixed, but as something evolving? How do we make space for new voices and changing perspectives, while still honouring what came before?
These are the kinds of questions that shape our approach to heritage here in Leicester. We’ll continue exploring them in future editions of Spotlight on Heritage—right here on Soar Sound community radio.
