Preston our Heritage in 2032. report

Abstract

Project Focus: Heritage
This Monograph report was submitted to the Heritage lottery fund as a technical evaluation summary of the Project: Preston Our Heritage in 2032. The project focused on the cultural and built heritage of Preston, specifically in the context of the Guild, in the lead up to the 2012 celebrations of the Preston guild. Over its' 800 years, the Guild has had a strong influence on the development of Preston as a thriving and important Lancashire city, and this project looked to examine how the architecture and urban design of key areas within the city have been influenced by the cultural traditions and makeup of the Guild.

Six distinct areas were identified by University Students (referred to as students hereafter) for consideration during the project. Having their origins firmly in the cultural heritage of the city, the design was influenced by the history of the trades and business in Preston. The students uniquely worked with pupils from local secondary schools to engage in the heritage of their city through diverse spaces, and in consideration how the past influenced their design. They explored how this heritage could be improved in time for the next Guild celebrations in 2032 to better reflect the emerging, traditions, heritage and values of Preston.

Project Description
The project linked to the Guild Celebrations and involved pupils taking part in a series of creative, student designed, and led workshops that explored issues of heritage and the built environment. The workshops resulted in the creation of temporary installations at six sites around the city. The work produced by pupils was used to encourage the wider population of Preston and visitors to the city to think about its heritage and challenge them to consider how the city could be transformed by 2032.

Overall the project impacted the city, students and planning by:

Providing pupils from local schools with the opportunity to learn about their heritage, architecture and the design of their city through creative workshops

Giving pupils the opportunity to celebrate what they have learnt about their heritage and consider how the heritage of Preston can influence its future development through creative work

Using heritage and the built environment to develop pupils' transferable skills, increase their confidence in talking about heritage and the built environment and raise their aspirations for the future of their city

Working with pupils to produce installations that will raise awareness of the influence of the Guild on the development of Preston amongst the wider community, and promote debate about how the heritage of Preston can positively influence its future

Encouraging architecture students to consider the value of heritage when they design, and give them the skills to better work with local communities to engage and consult on design proposals
Providing schools with resource packs from the workshop so they can continue to use heritage and the built environment to support teaching of the core curriculum