Spotlight on Heritage – Roman Leicester Comes to Life

In this episode of Spotlight on Heritage from Soar Sound, we visit Jubilee Square during the Old Town Festival – Roman Edition, where Leicester’s rich Roman history was brought into the present through a series of hands-on activities, performances, and community-led projects.

John Coster and Rob Watson meet with the event manager, Jim Butler, who describes the vision behind creating a living Roman forum in the very place where Leicester’s original Roman heart once stood. Throughout the programme, we hear from re-enactors who embody the daily lives of Roman soldiers, local traders, and even Boudica herself. Their conversations offer an engaging insight into the realities of Roman Britain, highlighting both the familiar and the surprising aspects of life two thousand years ago.

The festival activities ranged from a Roman army school where children learned marching drills and commands, to food demonstrations that explored what soldiers and citizens would have eaten. Archaeologists and students from the University of Leicester set up excavation pits and pop-up laboratories, giving families a chance to experience the process of discovery that underpins our understanding of the past. One of the central features was a large-scale community sculpture project, where families collaborated to build a towering Roman portico entirely from cardboard, demonstrating the power of collective creativity and imagination in bringing history to life.

This programme reflects on the vital role that activities like these play in connecting people with their shared heritage. By offering opportunities for participation, exploration, and storytelling, history becomes something tangible and meaningful rather than distant and abstract. Events like the Old Town Festival show how Leicester’s past continues to shape its present identity as a place of meeting, exchange, and resilience. They remind us that history is not simply a record of what has gone before but is an ongoing conversation about who we are and how we live together.

Through conversations with historians, re-enactors, artists, and community participants, this edition of Spotlight on Heritage captures how an appreciation of heritage can foster a deeper understanding of place, identity, and belonging. It demonstrates how even simple acts, like digging in a sandpit for ancient artefacts or tasting a Roman stew, can spark curiosity and invite people of all ages to see themselves as part of a much longer story.