Located Making: Unlocking the Potential of Cultural Heritage by Design

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There is increasing recognition today, through initiatives such as UK's Radcliffe Red List and UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage Programme, of the contemporary value of heritage-based maker practices. Heritage-based material culture is often strongly rooted in community, place, materials and traditions. They express local knowledge and contribute to a deeper sense of identity and belonging. As such, they offer a stable counterpoint to our fast-changing, digital lifestyles.While there is a renaissance of interest in heritage making in both the UK and China, there needs to be a better understanding of how this translates into growth in the creative economy that is respectful of cultural legacy. The application of design research expertise offers a way of unlocking the potential of such traditional material cultures by helping ensure they are relevant and meaningful to contemporary needs. Investigating the ability of design to reveal the potential of this cultural heritage provides the catalyst for this collaborative research in the creative economy - between academics in design, fashion and ethnology, businesses and policy makers. The aim of Located Making is to develop a practical framework for unlocking the potential of cultural heritage by design. This framework, for use by policy-makers, heritage sector organisations and academics, will include a robust co-developed methodology suited to the Chinese context, a step-by-step pathway for identifying principal goals and developing feasible strategies, as well as real world examples and insights. Application of the framework will enable cultural heritage-based making practices in China to benefit economically and socio-culturally from design expertise.The project will investigate how design expertise can increase the visibility and perceived value of heritage-based making practices in China in ways that accord with sustainability, decent jobs, economic growth and community. To do this, UK and Chinese researchers, in conjunction with private and public sector partners and advisors will: 1) Undertake a series of place-based case studies of cultural heritage making practices in China to assess historical, contextual and stakeholder priorities; 2) Co-create strategies that will increase the visibility and perceived value of heritage-based making practices in ways that stimulate the economy in ways that value people, place and community; 3) Synthesise research insights into generalisable forms that can be adapted to a variety of contexts and elicit feedback to maximise adoption, implementation and impact; and 4) Develop a practical framework for the Chinese context that includes a step-by-step pathway for identifying development opportunities for heritage-based making practices, principal goals, as well as effective strategies for their achievement.Located Making will generate benefits for academics and non-academics through fostering innovative partnerships among researchers, businesses, makers, sector organisations and policy advisers, extending understanding of how design expertise can increase the visibility and value of heritage-based making practices, and enhancing strategic development capabilities in the heritage-based maker sector in China.