Ignite Social: Access to Heritage

We’re a home for Chelmsford’s Creative Community—to connect, collaborate, seek support and inspiration. Since 2017 Ignite Chelmsford has been connecting people from all backgrounds, perspectives, sectors, and organisations to give our city a shared voice and a strong creative community. We believe creativity thrives in a warm, open, and encouraging environment where everybody is welcome. We are passionate about helping Chelmsford realise its ambition as a city of creativity and innovation. If you work, volunteer, or study in the creative and cultural industries – or are simply interested in supporting creativity and culture in Chelmsford we would love you to join.

Ignite Chelmsford

Finding ways to tell new stories, celebrate forgotten individuals and develop events and activities that feel relevant, open and engaging.

Patch

Heritage can be understood as an active, dynamic relationship between then and now, formed through an on-going process of renegotiation, reconstruction, and recreation of what we choose to take from the past with us into the future. (<a href="https://www.heritage.arch.cam.ac.uk/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Cambridge Heritage Research Centre</a>)
This month's Ignite will highlight different projects that explore access to heritage and relevant spaces. Finding ways to tell new stories, celebrate forgotten individuals and develop activities/events that feel engaging to a wider, more diverse audience.
Cultural heritage is not only central to our sense of identity, but a tool for social transformation, reconciliation and healing. Irina Bokova, former Director General of UNESCO, argues that we are more acutely aware of its social, political and economic power - we must do all we can to protect, promote and share it.
Over the last two years our Ignite Collaborative Hub has sparked new events and activities for Chelmsford’s Heritage Open Days and we are interested to see what new ideas and collaborations might emerge from these inspiring talks.

TALK 1: White Stilettos to Blue Plaques – Celebrating the Lives of the Real Essex Girls
Graham Watts, Essex Women’s Commemoration Project
The recognition of remarkable women across our county is woeful. The Essex Women’s Commemoration Project is tasked with addressing that imbalance by erecting blue commemorative plaques that finally celebrate their inspiring achievements. With a second one recently unveiled for British farmer and suffragist Katherine Courtauld, we'll hear all about the team’s work.
Graham Watts is a theatre director from Basildon. A former Associate Director of Colchester's Mercury Theatre, he has directed nine Shakespeare productions in Alaska and his book, on the First Folio, Shakespeare’s Authentic Performance Texts, has been published by McFarlane www.grahamwattsdirector.com. Most recently he’s been focusing on plays from the past written by women but ignored. 

TALK 2: Widening Public Engagement in Heritage
Giles Tofield and National Trust
Giles Tofield will talk about the relationship between Essex Cultural Diversity Project and the National Trust, and the approach they have developed to their joint commissions at Flatford and Bourne Mill.
He is Strategic Lead for Essex Cultural Diversity Project (ECDP). He was Head of Regeneration and Urban Regeneration Company Renaissance Southend 2006–2011 and supports University of Bedfordshire on cultural and heritage outreach programmes. 
National Trust will highlight their ‘For everyone, for ever: strategy to 2025’ and how this relates to engaging more people (and greater diversity) with their heritage/cultural assets.Sarah Barfoot is an Experience &amp; Programme Manager for the National Trust. She works across Essex and Suffolk **HELP US GROW OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY** Ignite Chelmsford is a cultural forum for those involved in Chelmsford’s creative community. Whether you are worker, volunteer, potential partner, or simply a culture loving resident – you are welcome, and we want to hear from you! Once a month, Ignite hosts social meet-up: an inspirational gathering and an opportunity to learn how we can support one another’s work. There will be time to shout out about upcoming events, help needed or ideas in development so feel free to bring along any promo materials. We will have a bar with soft and alcoholic drinks. We suggest a donation of £5, but our event is intended to be accessible and open to all, so a donation is not mandatory. How to find the venue: Patch is in the old Chop Bloc space, just off the High Street, by the escalator entrance to Debenhams, and next to Nandos. Google maps: 51.732628, 0.475775 We look forward to seeing you there! Image: Cyanotype print of <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/flatford/features/hay-wain-200-a-bigger-canvas" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">The Hay Wain view</a>, created by artists Laurence Harding and Liz Harrington, part of a joint commission from National Trust and Essex Cultural Diversity Project

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Ignite Social: Access to Heritage

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Ignite Social: Access to Heritage

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