An Iconic English Historic Industrial Landscape: Intangible Values and Identity

Ref.: 171
Domaine thématique: 02 Intégrité fonctionnelle des paysages urbains historiques
Date de réception: 14/11/2008

AUTEURS (*Auteur principal)

ROBINSON, Emma-Jane * (Royaume-Uni de Grande-Bretagne et d'Irlande du Nord) - University Of London

RÉSUMÉ

Intangible inheritances and identity of an iconic historic industrial landscape are explored with a view to building sustainable modern communities. The approach adopted is of landscapes as palimpsests - a combination of natural forces, cultural influences and historical proccess ­ developed in the 1950s by Hoskins (1970). Peoples' earlier uses of the land naturally remain tangibly on the face of the landscape - but are also documented in archival collections and the collective cultural memory.

This paper takes forward the author's explorations of sense of place and place identity. Here an innovative tool is devised with a view to contributing new understandings of how the characterstics of places are manifested (Robinson, 2006; 2007; 2008). Potential applications identified for the tool include: heritage, conservation, environmental endeavours; international heritage designation and monitoring; visitor destination marketing and, place-based learning for sustainability, development and global citizenship.

From the mid-20th century a rising interest in the the concept of place is observed. It is concluded that this arose from the consequences of the two World Wars of that century with the desire to `Build a Better World' (United Nations, website accessed November 2008). Global notions have thrown the local into sharper focus and there is growing awareness of the value for people to develop a sense of belonging and identity with places where they dwell or have their roots (Relph, 1976, 122).
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The City of Manchester (located in NW England) is selected for study because by 1855 it was the first and greatest industrial city in the world, and the international centre for textile manufacture and cotton spinning. Much of the city's architectural heritage still reflects its days as the global centre for the cotton trade. Its economy, however, suffered greatly during and after the First World War (1914-1918) - but by the late 1980s a new mixed economy was emerging reliant on the cultural sector, media, higher education, commerce, heritage and tourism. This had significant impact on the city's identity, the way of life of its communities and the integrity of its historic industrial landscapes ­ as witnessed by its entry on the UK's tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites (UNESCO website, accessed November 2008).

From the 1980s a rise of interest in Manchester's intangible cultural inheritances is observed. This is reflected in collaborative initiatives between voluntary organisations, museums, libraries, galleries and others who work with diverse learning communities and visitors to connect its cultural inheritances with the present. Themes selected broadly endorse the objectives of the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (UNESCO, website accessed November 2008). A number of pioneering approaches have been developed including those of the charity AWAD [African Women's Culture, Arts and Developement International Network] which seek to explain the cultural singificance of artefacts by exploring the domains in which intangible cultural heritage manifests itself.

It is argued that in developing the modern identity of historic industrial centres intangible values and collective cultural memory will be vital for building sustainable communities.

BIBLIOGRAPHIE