Heritage Horizons Announced

Thanks to funding from the ScottishPower Foundation a new CHARTS partnership project called Heritage Horizons will begin in May 2021 with the Argyll and Bute Museums and Heritage Forum.

The project will offer empowering opportunities for young people to engage with museums and heritage venues. A series of creative placements will contribute to educational, archive, and visitor services.

Key aims of the project are that engagement will lead to nationally recognised accreditation for the young participants, reduce inequalities and address the current challenges presented by an ageing heritage volunteer workforce, whilst also building youth employability-skills.

The project will focus on developing opportunities for young people in the following geographic areas, working closely with members of Heritage Horizon Hubs, which will initially comprise:

South
1. Rothesay, Isle of Bute
2. Dunoon, Cowal Peninsula
3. Campbeltown, Kintyre

North
4. Oban
5. Isle of Mull
6. Tiree

Digital projects and communications will also take place linking participants across Argyll and Bute.

Why Heritage Horizons is Needed Now
Heavily reliant on tourism economy, the heritage sector is currently at early stages of reimagining productivity and audience-interface, due to public-health crises. This project, operational across education, community and cultural networks, aims to maximise knowledge and resource.

Heritage Horizons will increase opportunities for young people and address critical skills and employment gaps against the regional demographics of an ageing population.

About Heritage Hubs
To assist the development of this project, Heritage Hubs will be created to bring together heritage organisations and resources to maximise opportunities for young people. The Hubs will also explore the potential for sustained development between partners beyond the life of the project. Hubs will be supported by a strategic working group monitoring this project to maximise resource on behalf of the CHARTS & ABMHF partnership. This will include representation from partner organisations, Argyll and Bute Council and Gaelic support staff.

Project coordinators will work closely and flexibly with Heritage Hubs across participating areas to develop plans and build links to young people in schools and community groups for participating organisations. 

For further information about Heritage Horizons please contact CHARTS or Anne Cleave at the Argyll and Bute Museum and Heritage Forum: abmhforum@gmail.com
Photo: Edwina Aitken and the Rockfield Centre, Oban.