‘Our Lincolnshire’: Exploring public engagement with heritage

This book presents the aims, methods and outcomes of an innovative wide-ranging exploration of public attitudes to heritage, conducted in 2015-16 across Lincolnshire, England’s second-largest county. As policy and practice evolve, this research will remain valuable as a snapshot in time of public engagement with heritage. ‘Our Lincolnshire’ (2015-16) was devised as a robust, multi-vocally informed exploration of the attitudes of residents and visitors in Lincolnshire to the county’s heritage and the ways in which they engage with it. The context for this was the recognition amongst the county heritage sector of a disconnect between citizens of Lincolnshire and heritage beyond the city of Lincoln which presents challenges when the purpose and function of museums and heritage services need to be reviewed, especially when funding issues are impacting on this process. Understanding attitudes and re-connecting the various audiences in Lincolnshire with their rural heritage in a meaningful and creative way is thus required to ensure the continued collection, curation and presentation of heritage assets is effective in caring for heritage now and for future generations and ensuring the heritage resource reflects, meets and advances the interests, needs and aspirations of Lincolnshire’s residents and visitors today. This volume outlines the methods, data, outcomes and recommendations that generated from this multi-dimensional and innovative research and engagement process.