Building Bridges and working beyond our Boundaries: A personal National Trust journey towards community engagement, partnership and collaboration

Presentation abstract

Abstract

Drawing upon more than 25 years’ experience of working in the curatorial field for the National Trust, Sarah Kay, Cultural Heritage Curator, will outline a personal journey against the backdrop of the organisation’s shift towards greater community engagement, partnership and collaboration. For the UK’s largest heritage and conservation charity, she will describe, through insights into a series of curatorial projects, how organisational change has taken time, is complex, is still challenging and draws criticism. However, this culture shift is more important and urgent than ever if heritage and museums are to remain meaningful, dynamic and relevant. Now entering a new 10-year strategy and having just taken on the huge World Heritage Site of the Ironbridge Gorge, the National Trust’s aim is to be audience rather than asset-led and play its part with the rest of the heritage sector in being thoughtful and rigorous in how it reflects changing times, changing attitudes, and changing demographics.