Expanding Heritage Horizons through the Cheltenham: A Diaspora Project

[摘要] This article considers the Cheltenham: Diaspora project, an exploration and promotion of migrationheritage narratives in Cheltenham (UK). Cheltenham has a diverse history, but heritage provision in thelocality has been consistently concentrated on 18th and 19th century Regency architecture. This has ledto a marginalisation of non-elite heritage narratives, with no permanent platform for culturally diverseheritage themes in the region. In addition, informal, online history themed social media groups have,rather than expand heritage narratives, ultimately further narrowed heritage discussions. The Diasporaproject looked to challenge the lack of diversity in the authorised heritage discourse, and informal onlinediscourses of Cheltenham’s heritage, while enhancing the democratic nature of research projects comingout of the University of Gloucestershire. This paper considers the difficulties encountered in attemptingto democratise heritage research, in a cultural climate that is rigid in its perception of what counts as‘heritage’ and what is deemed as relevant by more ‘vocal’ local stakeholder groups. Ultimately the project reveals that while social media provides a useful avenue through which diverse heritage narrativescan be pursued and promoted, ingrained attitudes regarding authorised forms of heritage are robust andresistant to the introduction of the unfamiliar.

[学科分类] 农业科学（综合）