Exploring Wac Arts' Heritage
HVM was commissioned to support Wac Arts, a performing arts organisation for young people, in developing a vision and mission statement which builds on the 40 year heritage of the organisation and its current home, The Old Town Hall in Belsize Park, London.
Anita designed and facilitated a workshop with a mix of staff, trustees, project partners and young people and spent a day at Junior Wac to involve young people, parents and volunteers in a community engagement exercise exploring what Wac Arts and the Old Town Hall mean to them.
Consultees were presented with a range of heritage facts, drawn from a currently inaccessible archive and asked what they found most surprising about The Old Town Halls’ / Wac Arts’ stories; what they’d like to learn more about and how; and what their preferred way of recording their own memories is.
The engagement process confirmed what we’ve known for a long time at HVM, that heritage is a wonderful way to instil a sense of pride and belonging.
“Being in a building like this is a privilege, as it has a lot of history and culture. To be in a central, cultural part of London that has weight in history is important to young people who wouldn’t normally have access to it. It gives a sense of pride and importance to kids.”