How can arts and humanities make cultural heritage and cultural voices an essential part of climate planning for the future?
In 2020, the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) launched a funding partnership, as part of UK Official Development Assistance (ODA), to support research on how developing countries could respond more effectively to the impact of disasters and climate change on cultural heritage. Over three years, a cohort of nine projects produced work that was broad in discipline, geography and methodology. From Sri Lanka, to Nigeria, to Brazil, the research ranged in scope, focusing on disaster prevention and resilience, preparedness and emergency response, and considered the realities of living with, as well as adapting to, change, damage and loss as a result of disasters and the climate crisis.
This report marks a moment of reflection: over four months, the team at People’s Palace Projects (PPP) have been exploring with academics, artists, activists and cultural heritage stakeholders potential future directions for AHRC and DCMS’s Cultural Heritage and Climate Change Programme.
This report aims to provide recommendations to AHRC and DCMS on what the next phase of the programme might focus on. An urgent need to align, coordinate and effectively disseminate research in this field is clear.
Read the Executive Summary: [link]
Read the full Research Report: [link]