Hidden Histories of Dumfries & Galloway
The HH project produced a diverse range of activities and events centred around heritage learning and immersive ‘living history’ experiences, developing opportunities for volunteers and increasing local capacity.
The format and timetable for events and activities varied, ranging from afternoon tours of Lincluden Abbey to a full week of ‘takeover’ activities for Maxwelltown High School. All activities included elements of local heritage which were brought to life through storytelling, interactive learning activities, tours of heritage sites by local historical characters, and/or interactive displays like viking encampments and combat demonstrations. Interactive learning activities included: blacksmithing, boat building, group quests, LARPS (Live Action Role-Playing games), treasure hunts, cooking and community feasts. Other traditional skills-based activities included: silversmithing, leatherwork, shield-making, period costume-making, calligraphy, celtic knotwork, stonecarving, green woodworking, weaving.
The over twenty historical
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“Groundbreaking”
““It’s taken me 60 years to realise how much I love history. It was always so boring, now it’s not!””
“Life Changing”
Hidden Histories of Dumfries & Galloway ran from 2017-2020, and has now evolved into the realm you are currently visiting - The Gallovidian Way.
The project was an experiment to showcase the power of fusing creative heritage approaches with community engagement + development expertise. It produced a diverse range of activities and events centred around heritage learning, and immersive ‘living history’ experiences, developing opportunities for volunteers and increasing local capacity and interest in community led creative heritage engagement.
The format and timetable for events and activities varied, ranging from afternoon tours of Lincluden Abbey to a full week of ‘takeover’ activities for Maxwelltown High School to suit the location and demographic of the audience base, purpose of the activity / event.
All activities included elements of local heritage which were brought to life through storytelling, interactive learning activities, tours of heritage sites by local historical characters, immersive experiences and/or interactive displays like Viking encampments and combat demonstrations. Interactive learning activities included: blacksmithing, boat building, group quests, LARPS (Live Action Role-Playing games), treasure hunts, cooking and community feasts. Other traditional skills-based activities included: silversmithing, leatherwork, shield-making, period costume-making, calligraphy, celtic knotwork, stonecarving, green woodworking, weaving.
The 20+ historic sites the project engaged with over two delivery years are listed on page 2 (point 3). Historic characters enacted by local community based volunteer-collaborators included Lady Devorguilla, Alan of Galloway, Archibald the Grim, Lady Blanche; as well as Monks, Vikings, Iron Age warriors, Shield maidens, and some creative amalgamations of individuals taken from historical records.
Funding largely determined the geographical focus of the work. In 2018 most of the activities were in NW Dumfries, Annandale and Eskdale, engaging with a wide range of age groups; and regionally, delivering a series of events for international students visiting the region as part of the regionwide Amaze Me Leader programme.
The bulk of work in 2019 was with young people in Annandale and Eskdale, Glenkens and Stewartry, but also included activities in Whithorn (Wigtownshire) and community events like Nithraid (Nithsdale).
HH participants included a broad demographic and range of ages which was often impacted by the locality and funding parameters.
In 2017, funding from HLF supported the first year of HH activities which were intergenerational. In 2018, Holywood Trust and ANCBC funded work with 12-25 year olds.
For the takeover week in Maxwelltown High, participants were S3 and S4 pupils. Other work Lincluden and Lochside was increasingly intergenerational.
The focus in 2019 was again working within community settings and schools, funded by Holywood Trust.
2020 Covid response saw
Overview.
The Hidden Histories project findings, alongside a final consultation event in March 2020, presented compelling evidence of opportunities for strategic development of creative heritage offerings for the heritage, tourism, and education sectors. There is a need for additional support for sector-wide innovation (especially within the digital realm), joined-up thinking, and cross-sectoral partnerships. There are significant gaps in the existing tourism provision in Dumfries and Galloway, particularly in the area of alternative. ‘community led’ or ‘authentic’ tourism., which the Hidden Histories Approach exemplifies the demand and opportunities for.
There is considerable potential for the future development of a ‘Hidden Histories Approach’– developing co-created immersive heritage learning experiences, working within a network of partners across sectors including heritage, education, tourism, arts and culture.
There is also a growing need for heritage learning resources which empower and inform local communities, and which encourage them to engage with and support local heritage and the local economy. HH project findings and multiple consultations (March 2020 and previous) suggest that there is a need for ‘off-the-shelf’ educational products and services for youth/community groups and schools.
The Hidden Histories project provides a wealth of evidence to suggest that young people are extremely interested in their local heritage when it is presented in an interactive, engaging, immersive, connected, relevant way – including the use of humour. We propose this as a key component of a ‘Hidden Histories Approach’ to heritage engagement. Dumfries and Galloway should continue to grow opportunities for local young people to work with traditional skills and local histories in industries like film, heritage tourism.
There is no comparable project in the region, highlighting a substantial gap in the provision of co-created heritage expertise within the education, tourism, and heritage sectors of Dumfries and Galloway. Three years of project delivery clearly demonstrates that there is significant interest and demand from local communities, local and regional organisations, and visitors/tourists for these types of creative heritage engagement and learning activities.
The ‘Hidden Histories Approach’ to devising these creative heritage activities through co-created participatory work with volunteers is unique within the region and rare within Scotland, the UK, and internationally. It would be useful to consider this approach within an international context, where immersive and interactive learning experiences are increasingly considered the future of heritage tourism.
The uniqueness of the Hidden History Approach to developing creative heritage projects within D&G, the breadth and depth of the work HH delivered over three years (with enthusiastic volunteer-collaborators, participants, and audiences) deserves attention going forward to develop sector-wide connectivity and regionally focused, innovative creative heritage tourism and educational delivery strategies.
The Hidden Histories Approach.
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Immersive Learning Experiences.
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Workshops. Talks. Tours.
Hosted by local historic characters The Wildlings Of Galloway
Themed Feasting: archaelogically inspired food, with many courses interspersed with
Themed Live Entertainment: Music, Flyting, Performance Poetry, Riddling, Re-Enactment, Gaming, Dances.
Gallovidian Gatherings.
Evolution into The Gallovidian Way.
Embedding of the Hidden Histories DG Approach into heritage provision across the sector regionwide.
Covid Response - online resources for schools / downlaodable adventure packs.
Continuation of the roll out of the model through other projects / events:
ongoing delivery and adoption of these kinds of interactive heritage engagement by some of the participants through other projects via the characters they developed e.g. Bruce Heritage Trust.
Incorporation of the approach and model of delivery as the foundations of the development of Creative Caerlaverock project in partnership with The Stove Network.
Development and roll out of The Gallovidian Gatherings in their own right as standalone music events and interactive immersive consultation exercises.
Greater engagement of young people, those from disadvantaged communities, and older generation with local heritage, related sites / events / activities.
Increased demand and attendance at these kinds of events.
Reduction in anti-social behaviour reported at Lincluden Abbey.
Use of the resources (costumes / kit / props etc) in other projects
Impacts on participants
Robert the Bruce 750
