UNESCO IN ENGLAND
WIDER VALUE of UNESCO to the UK 2
England is home to 101 UNESCO sites and projects as well as a dynamic network of experts working in UNESCO’s fields of competency
55 12 77 48 11 54 75
50
76 85 51 9 34 59 83 49 3 53
6 79 33 44 58 30 5 29 73 46 8 64
78 35 7 52 65 67
41 21
26 63 56 69 16 15 47 42-43 66
80-82 45 36-39 14 68 4 27-28 22 86 13 71 61-62 17-19 20 70 31-32 60
2 84 40 25 1
74 23 24
57 10
72 2
UNESCO Designation No. Names
Biosphere Reserves 2 1 Brighton and Lewes Downs 2 North Devon
Creative Cities 7 3 Bradford City of Film 4 Bristol City of Film 5 Liverpool City of Music 6 Manchester City of Literature 7 Norwich City of Literature 8 Nottingham City of Literature 9 York City of Media Arts
10 Global Geoparks 2 English Riviera Global Geopark 11 55 North Pennines Global Geopark 12 77 48 12 11 Memory of the World 55 Narrative Created Through Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen’s Photography and 54 75 Programme Amber’s Films (Amber Collective) 13 The Roman Curse Tablets from Bath (Bath & North East Somerset Council) 50 14 Appeal of 18 June 1940 (BBC Sound Archives) 15 Cura Pastoralis of Gregory (Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford) 76 85 51 9 Manuscript Collection of Shota Rustaveli’s Poem “Knight in the Panther’s 34 Skin” (Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford) 59 83 49 3 The Gough Map (Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford) 16 53 GPO Film Unit collection, 1933-1940 (British Film Institute)
6 Hitchcock’s Silent Films (British Film Institute) 79 33 Peter Worden Collection of Mitchell and Kenyon Films (British Film Institute) 44 58 17 30 5 1215 Magna Carta (British Library) 29 73 Historic Ethnographic Recordings, 1898-1951 (British Library) 46 18 8 GPO Film Unit collection, 1933-1940 (British Postal Museum & Archive) 64 19 BT Research Centre Collection, 1878-1995 (BT Heritage) GPO Film Unit collection, 1933-1940 (BT Heritage) 78 35 7 20 Canterbury Cathedral Collection (Canterbury Cathedral) 52 65 21 Churchill Archives (Churchill Archives Centre) 67 22 Charter of King William I to the City of London (City of London Corporation Archives) 41 21 Robert Hooke’s Diary, 1672-1683 (City of London Corporation Archives) 23 Thomas Hardy Archive (Dorset County Museum) 26 63 56 69 16 24 Dean & Chapter Exeter Library Manuscript (Exeter Cathedral) 15 25 Winchester Pipe Rolls (Hampshire Record Office) 47 42-43 66 26 Hereford Mappa Mundi (Hereford Cathedral) 80-82 45 36-39 14 27 68 4 Battle of the Somme (Imperial War Museum) 27-28 22 86 13 71 61-62 17-19 20 70 28 Membership Application Certificate (Institution of Civil Engineers) 31-32 60 29 1215 Magna Carta (Lincoln Cathedral) 30 Letter from George Stephenson (Liverpool Record Office) 2 84 40 25 31 London County Council Bomb Damage Maps (London Metropolitan 1 Archives)
74 23 The Great Parchment Book of The Honourable The Irish Society, 1639 24 (London Metropolitan Archives) 32 Archive of Charles Booth’s Inquiry into the Life and Labour of the People in 57 10 London, 1886-1903 (London School of Economics Library) 33 72 The Correspondence Collection of Robert Owen 1821-1858 (National Cooperative Archive) 34 Robert Stephenson and Company Archives (National Railway Museum) UNESCO Designation No. Names
Memory of the World 35 Medieval Records of St Giles’s Hospital, Norwich (Norfolk Record Office) Programme 36 Bill of Rights, 1689 (Parliamentary Archives at the Palace of Westminster) Death Warrant of King Charles I, 1649 (Parliamentary Archives at the Palace of Westminster) Documentary Heritage of the Women’s Suffrage Movement in Britain, 1865-1928 (Parliamentary Archives at the Palace of Westminster) 37 Arthur Bernard Deacon, 1903-1927 (Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland) 38 The Royal Institution Laboratory Notebooks of Michael Faraday (Royal Institution) 39 Papers of the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, 1823-1854 (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) 40 1215 Magna Carta (Salisbury Cathedral) 41 Shakespeare Documents (Shakespeare Birthplace Trust) 42 Royal Mail Archive, 1636-1969 (The British Postal Museum and Archive) 43 Children’s Society Archive (The Children’s Society) 44 Peterloo Relief Fund Account Book (John Rylands University Library at the University of Manchester) 45 Domesday Book (The National Archives) Dutch West India Company Archives (The National Archives) Registry of Slaves of the British Caribbean, 1817-1834 (The National Archives) Shakespeare Documents (The National Archives) Silver Men: West Indian Labourers at the Panama Canal (The National Archives) 46 Wedgwood Museum Archive (The Wedgwood Museum) 47 Documentary Heritage of the Women’s Suffrage Movement in Britain, 1865-1928 (The Women’s Library) 48 Tyne & Wear Shipyards Collection (Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums) 49 Diaries of Anne Lister (West Yorkshire Archive Service) West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum Records, 1814-1991 (West Yorkshire Archive Service) 50 Dorothy Wordsworth’s Journal (Wordsworth Trust) 51 Wakefield Court Rolls (Yorkshire Archaeological and Historical Society)
UNESCO Chairs & 16 52 Chair in Adult Literacy and Learning for Social Transformation at the UNITWIN Networks University of East Anglia 53 Chair in African Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Bradford 54 Chair in Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage at Durham University 55 Chair in Cultural Property Protection and Peace at Newcastle University 56 Chair in Analytics and Data Science at the University of Essex 57 Chair in Geoscience and Society at the University of Plymouth 58 Chair in Media Freedom, Journalism Safety and the Issue of Impunity at the University of Sheffield 59 Chair in Gender Research at Lancaster University 60 Chair in Higher Education Management at the University of Bath 61 Chair in ICT for Development at Royal Holloway, University of London 62 Chair in Intercultural Studies and Teacher Education at the Institute of Education, University of London UNESCO Designation No. Names
Chairs & UNITWIN 63 Chair in New Media Forms of the Book at the University of Bedfordshire Networks 64 Chair in Political Economy of Education at the University of Nottingham 65 Chair in Water Science at the University of Birmingham 66 UNITWIN Network in Global Pharmacy Education Development at the School of Pharmacy, University College London 67 UNITWIN Network in Humanitarian Engineering at Coventry University
Learning Cities 1 68 Bristol, Member of the Global Network of Learning Cities
World Heritage Sites 18 69 Blenheim Palace 70 Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine’s Abbey, and St Martin’s Church 71 City of Bath 72 Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape 73 Derwent Valley Mills 74 Dorset and East Devon Coast (Jurassic Coast) 75 Durham Castle and Cathedral 76 English Lake District 77 Frontiers of the Roman Empire: Hadrian’s Wall 78 Ironbridge Gorge 79 Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City 80 Maritime Greenwich 81 Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret’s Church 82 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 83 Saltaire 84 Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites 85 Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey 86 Tower of London Published by the UK National Commission for UNESCO October 2017
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Cover image: The Crowns engine houses at Botallack Mine, part of the UNESCO Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site. Photo: Ainsley Cocks. Contents
1 The value of UNESCO affiliation 8
2 Biosphere Reserves 10
3 Creative Cities 16
4 Global Geoparks 22
5 L’Oréal–UNESCO For Women In Science 26
6 International Hydrological Programme 31
7 Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commissions 34
8 Memory of the World 36
9 UNESCO Chairs & UNITWIN Networks 46
10 World Heritage 53
11 UNESCO in England 62
UNESCO in England 7 THE VALUE OF UNESCO AFFILIATION
The Man Engine at Lemon Quay, Truro. Photo: Ainsley Cocks.
8 The value of UNESCO affiliation
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is the UN agency with global responsibility for protecting cultural heritage internationally (including in conflict zones), coordinating the tsunami warning system, setting and monitoring Education 2030, leading the UN’s Scientific Advisory Board and monitoring press freedom to name just a few of its global functions. But what is the impact, influence and relevance of UNESCO in England?
The UK National Commission for UNESCO’s (UKNC) survey1 of UNESCO affiliated organisations in the UK identifies three core benefits of UNESCO membership to England and the UK as a whole:
1. Financial value: UNESCO projects in England generated an estimated £79 million1 from April 2014 to March 2015 through their association with UNESCO;
2. Wider, non-financial value: By leveraging the powerful UNESCO brand and collaborating with the global UNESCO network, England’s UNESCO sites and projects can access new programme, partnership and funding opportunities and influence key decision makers;
3. Support for government priorities: UNESCO-supported activity in England complements a broad portfolio of UK Government priorities and contributes to a wealthier, fairer, smarter, healthier, safer, stronger, and greener England.
The UKNC uses these research findings to provide targeted support to current and prospective UNESCO designations to help them unlock the full potential value of their involvement with the Organisation and bring the full benefits of UNESCO to the UK.
1 The findings in this report are based on those from a study conducted by the UK National Commission for UNESCO of the UK’s network called the Wider Value of UNESCO to the UK 2014-15. Download the full report at: www.unesco.org.uk
UNESCO in England 9 BIOSPHERE RESERVES Biosphere Reserves are learning sites for sustainable development where communities collaborate to live in harmony with their world class living environment
The Living Coast - Brighton and Lewes Downs UNESCO World Biosphere Region. Photo: Murray Ballard.
10 Biosphere Reserves
At a glance
Membership of the Biosphere Reserve network helps to:
• Promote sustainable development and biodiversity conservation • Support ecotourism, green marketing of businesses and the wider economic development of the region • Bring new ideas, opportunities and ways of working to the UK from the global network • Test new development theories and conservation approaches • Promote meaningful lifestyle changes through community engagement
Biosphere Reserves in England England’s Biospheres are
England is home to two UNESCO Biosphere Reserves: part of a global network of • Brighton and Lewes Downs “The Living Coast”: Situated on the 669 Biosphere chalk hills and coast of the South Downs within and around the city Reserves spread of Brighton & Hove and neighbouring towns of Lewes, Newhaven and Shoreham, this Biosphere brings together rural, marine and urban across 120 environments to take care of this special place for both nature and countries. people. A diverse range of projects to add value are being progressed, from urban greening and water environment improvements through to public engagement, cultural collaboration, public health and tourism initiatives.
• North Devon: Reaching to the heights of Dartmoor and Exmoor and extending to the marine environment twelve miles beyond Lundy; this Biosphere has established effective partnerships which pioneer a range of projects for a sustainable future in north Devon. These include significant landscape-scale land-use change and biodiversity enhancement, nature improvement areas, biodiversity offsetting, ecosystem-based local development plans, carbon reduction strategies and innovations in marine conservation and fisheries management.
England’s Biospheres are part of a global network of 669 Biosphere Reserves spread across 120 countries worldwide. Being a member of the global network provides unique opportunities for exchanges of experience, collaborative research and partnerships. UNESCO’s Biospheres are the world’s only globally recognised designation for demonstrating excellence in sustainable development.
Biosphere Reserves have three primary functions: conservation, learning and research, and sustainable development. They test interdisciplinary approaches
UNESCO in England 11 to tackling complex global environmental challenges in a sustainable way. However, Biosphere Reserves are not isolated scientific reserves. They are dynamic local partnerships, rooted in local communities that work collaboratively with Biosphere Reserve teams in a global network, to explore how – through education, science, culture, communication and information – we can learn to live in harmony with our environment.
Biosphere Reserves in action
The work of the Biosphere Reserves in research, conservation and sustainable development encapsulates all aspects of UNESCO’s remit from education, science, culture, communication and information.
CASE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STUDIES The Living Coast – Brighton and Lewes Downs At the heart of a successful UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is the development of a local partnership to build shared ownership of, and responsibility for, achieving the goals of the Biosphere Reserve.
The Living Coast has developed an innovative online map platform for local people and visitors in Brighton and Lewes Downs. For the first time, the platform gives people a diverse range of spatial information about their local environment: from the locations of wildlife habitats and accessible green spaces, through to the best sites for tourists to visit, or ‘Friends of Parks’ groups that residents can join to look after them. The map also highlights useful links including sustainable transport routes to a facility for recording wildlife observations.
The ‘Explore’ web map was created using Arc GIS online software by the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre, a Biosphere partner, that was funded by a grant from Brighton & Hove City Council’s Environmental Sustainability Fund.
Discover the project at http://www.thelivingcoast.org.uk/explore
12 UNESCO in England CONSERVATION & BIODIVERSITY CASE STUDIES Brighton and Lewes Downs - The Living Coast
A series of colourful and attractive “butterfly banks” have been established over the past few years around urban green spaces in the The Biosphere’s city of Brighton & Hove, using local chalk grassland wildflower ‘plugs’ marine and and waste chalk (sourced from council grave-digging operations!). terrestrial areas Inspired by the original ‘ecological engineering’ scheme on the school grounds of Dorothy Stringer High School in Brighton, an initiative to are Pioneer Areas bring the “Downs to Towns” was pursued with funding support under for demonstrating DEFRA’s former ‘Nature Improvement Area’ scheme as part of the ‘South the restoration of Downs Way Ahead’ project until 2015. natural capital in More than fifteen parks and green spaces have been enriched around a generation. the city through this habitat creation programme, with evident benefits for both wildlife such as chalk downland butterflies and people who enjoy the colourful summer spectacle. Volunteers have worked with Brighton & Hove City Council rangers on all aspects of the scheme, from seed collection in local chalk grasslands (supported by RBG Kew at Wakehurst Place in Sussex), to propagation at the council’s Stanmer Nursery, through to planting out in the green space locations themselves.
More information on one of the sites established is available at https:// www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/press-release/butterfly-bank- creates-city-centre-haven-wildlife
North Devon
The Biosphere covers a range of iconic ecosystems and habitats ranging from the high lands of Dartmoor and Exmoor to the rich marine depths around Lundy in the Bristol Channel. Through its long established partnerships, the Biosphere has established biodiversity protection for over 24% of the marine area, and has improved the water quality in the rivers with extensive collaboration with government agencies and local landowners. It has also secured restoration of habitat on over 500 Ha of land and has a carbon reduction strategy that improves energy efficiency, develops appropriate renewable energy solutions, and supports land-use change to meet Paris Agreement targets. Both the marine and terrestrial areas are Pioneer Areas for demonstrating the restoration of natural capital in a generation.
UNESCO in England 13 CASE RESEARCH STUDIES North Devon UK researchers were awarded substantial funding in 2017 from the Research Council’s £225 million Global Challenges Research Fund to help support coastal communities living in UNESCO Biospheres in East and South East Asia that depend on healthy and diverse marine ecosystems for food, livelihoods, their health and well-being.
Led by Plymouth Marine Laboratory in collaboration with the University of Plymouth, the University of Exeter, and the North Devon UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, The Blue Communities project will help build the long-term research capability for marine planning over the next four years in East and South East Asia and, in doing so, support local coastal communities.
The project will work and build long-term links with four UNESCO Biosphere Reserves across Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, China and Malaysia. Biospheres are being used specifically in this research programme as these ‘science for sustainability’ support sites provide an established, collaborative infrastructure in which initiatives can be developed and tested alongside the stakeholders.
North Devon will use the experience to learn from colleagues in Asia and demonstrate the programme as a valid pipeline for assisting progress in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and bring solidarity in the region.
14 UNESCO in England CAPACITY BUILDING CASE STUDIES The Living Coast – Brighton and Lewes Downs
A Green Spaces Forum of local voluntary groups has been established The project in Brighton & Hove to bring together many of the forty-plus voluntary recognises the ‘Friends of Parks’ groups around the city. The Forum aims to help the voluntary groups work effectively with each other and with the city important role of council on its green spaces. This follows a development phase funded voluntary groups by the University of Brighton, working with the Biosphere programme and strengthens and a range of local community bodies to establish the foundations of the new network. The platform will allow individual voluntary groups their valuable to identify common objectives and challenges while swapping their contribution to experience and solutions. The Forum will also create a shared voice to land management work with the city council and access support and funding - important and developing in a time of declining local authority resources to manage green spaces. The project recognises the important role of voluntary groups community and strengthens their valuable contribution to land management and cohesion. developing community cohesion.
EDUCATION
The Living Coast – Brighton and Lewes Downs
A pioneering programme of environmental education has been pursued in twenty-five schools across The Living Coast through the “Our Water Matters” (OWM) initiative. The programme teaches primary school children at Key Stage 2 level about the special nature of the local water cycle. It uses a set of innovative resources both outside the classroom and in a ‘virtual’ water world to provide a tailor-made approach to engage pupils with the unique character of their local environment. Children are guided to uncover the hidden process of where water comes from and goes to, and how it provides all of their drinking water needs.
OWM has worked with the local social enterprise Block Builders to create a virtual model of The Living Coast using the popular educational game software ‘Minecraft Edu’. It allows children to explore their local environment and water cycle without leaving their classroom. The virtual learning is complemented by outdoor school sessions, led by local company SoSussex, in their school grounds or nearby park, to engage in practical activities including live experiments with water. The pupils’ resulting learning from both virtual and physical methods is the subject of a research study by the University of Brighton, to investigate how children learn and connect with their local environment. Both teacher and pupil feedback to date has been overwhelmingly positive.
UNESCO in England 15 CREATIVE CITIES Creative Cities are part of a global network of cities that have placed creativity at the heart of their strategy for local economic and social development
Nottingham UNESCO Creative City of Literature. Nottingham Town Hall. Photo: Sakhan Photography.
16 UNESCO in England Creative Cities
At a glance
Membership of the Creative Cities network helps to:
• Create a positive, shared identity for the city • Promote community integration and participation of minority or vulnerable groups • Develop local partnerships, projects and opportunities • Develop international partnerships, projects and opportunities
Creative Cities in England The Creative There are seven Creative Cities in England: Cities Network is • Bradford, UNESCO City of Film: Bradford is the world’s first UNESCO currently formed City of Film, designated in 2009. The status bestows international recognition on Bradford as a world centre for film because of the by 180 Members city’s rich film heritage, its inspirational movie locations and its many from 73 countries celebrations of the moving image through the city’s film festivals, film- covering seven related events and its unique approach to learning about the subject. creative fields.
• Bristol, UNESCO City of Film: Bristol became a UNESCO City of Film in 2017. Bristol is an international hub for film, animation and wildlife content. It is a major production centre for film and TV with an established Film Office and the largest production facility in the South West. With eleven festivals dedicated to film annually, ten cinemas, and two major universities providing twenty-eight film related degrees, it is a thriving city in a global network of like-minded cities.
• Liverpool, UNESCO City of Music: Liverpool has an extraordinary musical heritage, known worldwide as the birthplace of The Beatles, designated a UNESCO City of Music in 2015. The City also has a thriving, vibrant and varied contemporary music scene, driven by entrepreneurial spirit and a belief in the power of music and culture to effect change, support growth and facilitate engagement.
• Manchester, UNESCO City of Literature: Manchester became a UNESCO City of Literature in 2017. Manchester is known worldwide as the birthplace of the industrial revolution and has a proud history of science, radical thinking, music, sport and the arts. Through its UNESCO status, Manchester is looking to cultivate a sense of pride and belonging which helps the city meet the challenges it faces, while emphasising connectedness, valuing creative work, skills and literacy.
UNESCO in England 17 The Network aims • Norwich, UNESCO City of Literature: Norwich became England’s to strengthen first UNESCO City of Literature in 2012. UNESCO designation helps celebrate Norwich’s heritage as a place of ideas, and also nurture the cooperation city’s contemporary writers through its UNESCO Young Ambassador with and among programme. cities that have • Nottingham, UNESCO City of Literature: Nottingham was designated recognised as a UNESCO City of Literature in 2015. The Creative City’s mission is to creativity as a build a better world with words and aims to be recognised globally as strategic factor a beacon of literary excellence. The City also aims to support, animate, of sustainable and develop its UNESCO designation in the interests of residents, while creating new opportunities for learning and participation in Nottingham’s development. literary and cultural life.
• York, UNESCO City of Media Arts: The ancient city of York was designated a UNESCO City of Media Arts, the first in the UK, in 2014. The designation reflected the strength of the creative and cultural sector in the city, its reputation for excellence in higher education, and high levels of investment in media and creative industries. The city’s Council and its cultural partnership, together with a new professional body, the Guild of Media Arts, and the Lord Mayoralty, share the stewardship of the designation on behalf of the people of York. The programme aims to ensure that the media arts provide inspiration for the next generation of cultural leaders, that York attains an international profile for media arts through Mediale, a biennial festival commencing in 2018, and that the cultural sector itself thrives and supports the developing economy of York into the future.
The Creative Cities Network is currently formed by 180 Members from 73 countries covering seven creative fields: Crafts & Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Music and Media Arts. The Network aims to strengthen cooperation with and among cities that have recognised creativity as a strategic factor of sustainable development. The status is permanent, allowing the Creative City to be embedded into the long-term plans for its region.
18 UNESCO in England Creative Cities in action
The Creative Cities Network is a forum for exploring the role of creativity as a driver for sustainable urban development, and a platform for action and innovation. Learn more about some of their work and impact in England.
NURTURING LOCAL TALENT CASE STUDIES York City of Media Arts The ancient city of York is using its designation as the UK’s first UNESCO City of Media Arts to bring the contemporary arts and technologies into the lives of its young people, from their earliest days at school to their first experiences of employment. Since 2015 the Guild of Media Arts, which was established to promote and protect the UNESCO designation, now has over two hundred members amongst York’s leading creators, entrepreneurs and educators.
The Guild’s Digital Adventurers programme supports artists and designers to work with primary age schoolchildren, giving them a taste of creating using the tools found in the professional media arts studio. Enthusiastic participation by primary age children in schools and libraries in the first year was recognised by the Guild which awarded Digital Adventurer certificates.
Recognising that creative subjects are in many places under threat in the school curriculum, York is redoubling efforts to ensure that the next generation of leaders of the creative sector is inspired and nurtured.
UNESCO in England 19 CASE PROMOTING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STUDIES Bradford City of Film The Neighbourhood Film Project is a new initiative in development by Bradford UNESCO City of Film with a range of partners across the Bradford District. The aim is to bring neighbours together who may not have engaged with each other previously through film and conversation. This project is about empowering communities and encouraging new communities, in particular, to become more involved in society and with each other.
Working with English, African, East European, Arab and South Asian communities, the project will encourage them to work together and start conversations about culture, identity and faith. This will be achieved through film presentations and weekly community coffee sessions to discuss future film titles, with the intention of helping people participate fully in the running of the project.
The second phase of the Neighbourhood Film Project will see weekly community gatherings involving conversation and film. Following a consultation meeting, it was decided to host the first sessions at the Bradford Sudanese Community Centre. The majority of the participants will be Sudanese, Syrian, Asian, and African women, who want to share their experiences and create meaningful friendships.
20 UNESCO in England 20 PROMOTING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CASE STUDIES Liverpool City of Music
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic established In Harmony Liverpool in 2008, The programme an immersive musical programme to improve the health, education and aspirations of children in Everton, Liverpool. has had a huge impact on the From working with eighty-four children in 2009, In Harmony Liverpool children - evident now reaches over eight-hundred children up to age 18 and their families, all taking part in orchestral music-making every week, free of with increased charge, in and out of school. In addition to excellent musical progress, wellbeing and the programme has had a huge impact on the children - evident with resilience, increased wellbeing and resilience, enhanced aspiration, confidence and enhanced motivation and enjoyment. As the children became more engaged and more determined, individual aspiration and community pride is evident. aspiration, confidence and Everton Children’s Orchestras have generated a sense of pride and motivation and achievement in the community, central to community events and well attended by families and community representatives. Partnership- enjoyment. working has placed professional musicians at the heart of the community, generating long-term relationship and joint-working across professional disciplines. After eight years, In Harmony Liverpool is seen as a community-owned, and increasingly a community-driven programme.
FOSTERING INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION
Bradford City of Film
In September 2017, Bradford became the first European city to open a film office in Qingdao in China – the country which is home to the world’s fastest-growing cinema industry. Qingdao was designated a UNESCO City of Film in 2017.
The Bradford Film Office is based in the west coast area of the city known as Lingshan Bay which is currently attracting film and TV production companies eager to be situated next to China’s largest film production studio complex. As a result of the growing relationship between the two cities, Qingdao University of Science and Technology and the University of Bradford are developing a number of collaborations in the areas of science and technology as well as film and TV production.
UNESCO in England 21 GLOBAL GEOPARKS UNESCO Global Geoparks are areas of exceptional geological significance which use their unique geology to drive community development
The River Tees drops 29 meters over High Force, in the North Pennines AONB and UNESCO Global Geopark. Photo: ONE NorthEast.
UNESCO in England Global Geoparks
At a glance
Membership of the Global Geoparks Network provides new opportunities for:
• New funding opportunities • International programme and partnership opportunities • Local partnership opportunities
Global Geoparks in England Both of England’s There are two Global Geoparks in England: UNESCO Global • English Riviera: Home to the Kents Cavern jawbone - the oldest Geoparks have modern human fossil in North West Europe - and situated within the stunning, rolling hills of South Devon, Torbay’s geology has created a internationally beautiful coastline, linking the rich diversity of the landscape with its significant wildlife, people and culture. geology, but what makes • North Pennines: The North Pennines landscape has been 500 million years in the making and reveals a story of tropical seas, vast deltas them special is and deserts, huge ice sheets and continents on the move, alongside a that they are world-class mineral and mining heritage. In recognition of its special community- qualities, the North Pennines has been designated as an Area of focused Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), as well as a UNESCO Global Geopark – highlighting its globally important Earth heritage. partnerships.
Both of England’s UNESCO Global Geoparks have internationally significant geology, but what makes them special is that they are community-focused partnerships that promote an appreciation of natural and cultural heritage while supporting sustainable economic development of the area, primarily through tourism based on geology, landscape and cultural heritage.
This activity varies from cutting-edge research carried out in conjunction with research institutions and universities, to developing educational programmes, conservation activities and local outreach programmes to engage the community with their geological heritage.
UNESCO in England 23 Geoparks in action
CASE GEOTOURISM STUDIES North Pennines At Bowlees, in Upper Teesdale, the North Pennines AONB / UNESCO Membership Global Geopark team have developed a thriving visitor centre in a former Primitive Methodist Chapel as a ‘gateway’ to the area’s of the Global outstanding heritage. The team has created a popular café, a gallery Geopark and heritage-focused gift shop while enhancing the conservation value community helps of the surrounding land and creating trails and a peaceful wildlife garden. The heart of Bowlees is the high-quality local information and to instil a sense advice the team provides to help people explore and understand the of collective North Pennines, and the many family events and school visits hosted responsibility, there. This AONB / UNESCO Global Geopark gateway centre was the among residents North East of England’s ‘Small Visitor Attraction of the Year’ in 2016. and businesses alike to protect the natural CONSERVATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT environment. English Riviera Global Geopark – Geoplay Park The team behind the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark worked with a range of partners to create what is thought to be the world’s only geologically themed children’s play park. The Geoplay Park takes its inspiration from the four geological time periods (Devonian, Carboniferous, Permian and Quaternary) for which there is evidence in the Geopark, which is centred around Torbay on the Devon Coast. The Geoplay Park was designed with local school children and caters for people of all abilities; it is hugely popular with local people and the area’s many visitors. The £500,000 project was funded principally by the Heritage Lottery Fund and is now maintained by volunteers from the Paignton Community Partnership, using rental income from an on-site café operator.
24 UNESCO in England RESEARCH CASE STUDIES North Pennines OREsome North Pennines is a two-year project that engages volunteers in discovering and recording historic mine sites across the North Pennines AONB / UNESCO Global Geopark. Volunteers are completing integrated archaeological, ecological and geological surveys of eight extensive landscapes (all Scheduled Monuments, mostly designated as being ‘at risk’). The Heritage Lottery-Funded project will also establish annual monitoring of these landscapes, providing reports to Historic England who will then be able to consider any necessary remedial works before problems get out of hand. The project is also investigating two early mining sites (one prehistoric, one Roman), and will develop heritage trails, led by local communities.
Crucially, this project will integrate work that is traditionally divided into ‘historic’ and ‘natural’ disciplines, encouraging the development of an integrated approach to the understanding and management of the sites, and providing an opportunity for the transference of knowledge and skills among people.
INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT
English Riviera The 7th International Conference on UNESCO Global Geoparks was held at the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark in Torquay in September 2016. Attended by 700 delegates from 63 countries, the conference opening ceremony, Earth Echoes, involved 100 locals aged 8 to 80, plus South Devon College students and other multiple partners in its development, production and performance. The opening was an incredible and moving community-led performance which received a standing ovation. During the conference, delegates engaged in discussions, workshops and meetings, and listened to fascinating presentations from UNESCO Global Geoparks all around the world. Delegates also visited geological, historical, community and creative sites around the English Riviera Geopark as well as attending fantastic events at partner sites and integrating with the local community. The conference generated £1.18 million press and social media coverage for English Riviera, £1.6 million visitor spend by delegates into the local economy, and was recognised as ‘most successful ever’ conference by the Global Geopark Network. The legacy of Earth Echoes is now available on line (www.englishrivierageopark.org.uk) in the form of a full educational learning pack, film and evaluation report.
25 UNESCO in England 25 L’ORÉAL–UNESCO FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE L’Oréal–UNESCO For Women In Science Programme celebrates, enhances and enables the contribution of women to scientific research
Professor Pratibha Gai was L’Oréal-UNESCO Awards Laureate for Europe in 2013 for modify- ing her electron microscope to help the development of new medicines. Photo: L’Oréal.
UNESCO in England L’Oréal–UNESCO For Women In Science
At a glance
The L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women In Science Programme:
• Supports women in science to continue with their research • Helps Fellows take their career to the ‘next level’ • Provides a platform for women in science to become science ambassadors
L’Oréal–UNESCO For Women In Science Fellows in England Thirty-Seven Fellowships have To date, thirty-seven Fellowships have been awarded to scientists at English been awarded Universities: to scientists • Dr Radha Boya, University of Manchester for her research on ‘Selective Sieving by Atomically Thin van der Waals Capillaries’ at English Universities. • Dr Priya Subramanian, University of Leeds for her research on ‘Mathematical recipes for never-repeating quasicrystals’
• Dr Bethan Psaila, University of Oxford for her research on ‘Visualizing how gene activity is disrupted in megakaryocyte cells in Myelofibrosis, a severe bone marrow disorder’
• Dr Manju Kurian, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health for her research on ‘Defining Genetic Causes of Cerebral Palsy’
• Dr Sophie Acton, University College London for her research on ‘Stromal/leukocyte Crosstalk in Immunity and Tumour Progression’
• Dr Maria Bruna, University of Oxford for her research on ‘Multiscale modelling of interacting particle systems’
• Dr Sam Giles, University of Oxford for her research on ‘getting inside the heads of early fishes’
• Dr Tanya Hutter, University of Cambridge for her research on ‘Development of new chemical sensor technologies and biomedical devices’
• Dr Louisa Messenger, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for her research on ‘Towards improved Chagas disease control and surveillance in the Bolivian Chaco’
• Dr Paola Crippa, University of Newcastle for her research on ‘Modelling particulate matter pollution from vegetation fires in South- East Asia’
UNESCO in England 27 • Dr Joanne Durgan, Babraham Institute, Cambridge for her research on ‘Cell Cannibalism in Cancer: exploring the control and impact of entosis in tumours’
• Dr Aarti Jagannath, University of Oxford for her research on ‘Setting the body clock’
• Dr Tracy Briggs, University of Manchester for her research on ‘Understanding Single-Gene Disorders That Lead to Systemic Lupus’
• Dr Eva-Maria Graefe, Imperial College London for her research on ‘Engineering Holes in Quantum Systems’
• Dr Clémence Blouet, University of Cambridge for her research on ‘The Consequences of High-Fat Intake on the Hypothalamus and the Mechanism Behind Obesity’
• Dr Sneha Malde, University of Oxford for her research on ‘Searching for New Physics Through Measuring the Differences Between Matter and Anti-Matter’
• Dr Emily Jones, Birkbeck University for her research on ‘Causal Pathways to Autism: the Role of Autonomic Control & Social Learning’
• Dr Suchitra Sebastian, University of Cambridge for her research on ‘Creating the Next Generation of Superconductors’
• Dr Katrina Lythgoe, Imperial College London for her research on ‘Evolutionary Dynamics of Human Diseases’
• Dr Claire Spottiswoode, University of Cambridge for her research on ‘the Genetics of Egg Mimicry: a Century-Old Evolutionary Puzzle’
• Dr Victoria Coker, University of Manchester for her research on ‘The Fate of Toxic & Radioactive Materials’
• Dr Emily Flashman, University of Oxford for her research on ‘Oxygen Sensing: Molecular Adaptations in Times of Stress’
• Dr Monika Gullerova, University of Oxford for her research on ‘Gene Structures in Genetic Research’
• Dr Heather Whitney, University of Bristol for her research on ‘Iridescence in Plants’
• Dr Dora Biro, University of Oxford for her research on ‘Is Knowledge Transfer Vital to Preservation of a Species?’
• Dr Nathalie Pettorelli, Zoological Society of London for her research on ‘Building the First Global Picture of ‘Protected Area’ Effectiveness’
• Dr Pia Mukherjee, University of Sussex for her research on ‘Origin and Potential Fate of the Universe’
• Dr Elizabeth Murchison, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute for her research on ‘What Happens When a Cancer Survives its Host?’
28 UNESCO in England • Dr Jennifer Bizley, University of Oxford for her research on ‘Human Perception of Pitch, Tone & Spatial Location of Sound’
• Dr Patricia Alireza, University College London / University of Cambridge for her research on ‘Electronic States of Materials Under Extreme Conditions’
• Dr Nathalie Seddon, University of Oxford for her research on ‘Song Birds: Evolution of Animal Communication’
• Dr Sarah Bridle, University College London for her research on ‘Quantifying the Dark Universe’
• Dr Tamsin Mather, University of Oxford for her research on, ‘Sources & Sinks of Volcanic Volatiles’
• Dr Anna Git, Cambridge Research Institute for her research on ‘Early Diagnosis of Cancer Via Blood Screening?’
• Dr Araxi Urrutia, University of Bath for her research on ‘How Our DNA Affects Gene Function’
• Dr Seirian Sumner, Institute of Zoology for her research on ‘Workers vs Queen – Expression of Genes in Wasp Brains’
• Dr Theresa Burt de Perera, University of Oxford for her research on ‘How Fish Actually do Have Cognitive Abilities’
• Professor Caroline Dean (European Laureate 2017) John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, for her groundbreaking research on how plants adapt to their surroundings and climate change, leading to new ways for crop improvement”
• Professor Dame Carol Robinson (European Laureate 2015), University of Oxford for creating a revolutionary method for studying how proteins function and establishing a whole new scientific field
• Professor Pratibha Gai (European Laureate 2013), University of York for ingeniously modifying her electron microscope to help the development of new medicines
• Professor Frances Ashcroft (European Laureate 2012), University of Oxford for advancing our understanding of insulin secretion and of neonatal diabetes
• Professor Athene Donald (European Laureate 2009), University of Cambridge for her work in unravelling the mysteries of the physics of messy materials, ranging from cement to starch
The L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Programme recognises the achievements and contributions of outstanding women in science across the globe by providing them with financial support, networks and media training to help further their careers in science. The Fellowship is unique in honouring post- Doctoral level scientists with flexible financial aid.
UNESCO in England 29 A critical component of the For Women In Science Programme is that it provides those involved with a media platform from which to act as science ambassadors. Indeed, most L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women In Science Fellows and Laureates surveyed by the UK National Commission for UNESCO continue to engage with the Programme as science ambassadors years after winning the prize. They say that the Programme highlighted the gender gap in UK’s STEM industries and provided the scientists with an opportunity to try and do something about it.
For Women In Science in action
CASE SCIENCE AMBASSADORS STUDIES Inspiring the future Building on this the platform of L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women In Science Programme has been leveraged in 2017 to launch a women in science campaign with the charity Education and Employers. Women working in science are encouraged to sign up and volunteer to speak in Primary Schools so that they can inspire and ignite the spark in the next generation of scientists. To date, 5,000 students have already benefited and nearly 200 women, including some of the fellows of the programme, have registered to participate.
A river monitoring workshop taking place under the IHP Hindu Kush-Himalayan FRIEND Programme. Photo: Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.
30 UNESCO in England INTERNATIONAL HYDROLOGICAL PROGRAMME
The International Hydrological Programme is the only intergovernmental programme of the UN system devoted to water research, water resources management, and education and capacity building
A river monitoring workshop taking place under the IHP Hindu Kush-Himalayan FRIEND Programme. Photo: Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.
UNESCO in England International Hydrological Programme
At a glance
The International Hydrological Programme:
• Facilitates global research linkages and access to new funding and partners • Increases the influence and profile of UK water science in global hydrological science • Contributes to the UK’s overseas development priorities
Within the UK, The International Hydrological Programme in England participation The UK-IHP Committee is the coordinating body for the UK’s input to the IHP with IHP’s global and its programmes. programmes The Secretariat of the UK-IHP Committee is based at the Natural Environment and projects Research Council (NERC) Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) in Wallingford, has provided Oxford. Its members are comprised of expert hydrologists and water scientists new research from across the UK. opportunities, Within the UK, participation with IHP’s global programmes and projects has and helped forge provided new research opportunities, helped forge international partnership and programme collaborations, enabled UK research organisations to attract overseas international funding, and helped give greater visibility to UK water scientists’ work on an partnership international platform. IHP activities also have a direct impact on advancing and programme water management in developing parts of the world and contribute towards collaborations. meeting the Sustainable Development Goal 6: Ensure availability of water and sanitation for all. The value of the UK’s involvement in the IHP is the opportunity to influence the global advancement of hydrological science and the subsequent development of freshwater policy and management practices. Through this, the UK can both contribute to societal benefits overseas and advance domestic water management policies.
32 UNESCO in England IHP in action
PLATFORM FOR INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP CASE & COLLABORATION STUDIES
The FRIEND (Flow Regimes from International Experimental and Network Data) Programme is a part of the International Hydrological Programme of UNESCO. FRIEND is an international collaborative study intended to develop, through the mutual exchange of data, knowledge and techniques, the better understanding of hydrological variability and similarity across time and space. The knowledge gained through FRIEND helps to improve methods applicable in water resources planning and management.
Since its instigation in 1985, pivotal UK involvement has helped the IHP FRIEND Programme foster a generation of hydrological scientists working together and sharing data, scientific knowledge and techniques across political borders.
UK experts from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) remain actively engaged with the FRIEND Programme, particularly through its European Low Flows and Drought Group. The network provides a mechanism for researchers from across Europe to work together and in recent years has led to a number of collaborative scientific papers which help further our understanding of droughts.
The research linkages developed through FRIEND helped CEH take part in a consortium that won a €1.5m grant from the G8/HORCS Belmont Forum for an interdisciplinary project investigating drought monitoring and early warning on three continents. The DrIVER project combined a state-of-the-art review and survey of existing monitoring programmes across the globe and quantitative work on developing drought indicators, with an innovative ‘social learning’ approach to engaging stakeholders. In the UK, this led to improved drought indicators and fed into a new operational drought monitoring tool, the UK Drought Portal.
3333 UNESCO in England 33 INTERGOVERNMENTAL OCEANOGRAPHIC COMMISSION Facilitating international cooperation and coordination in marine science and oceanography
The UK’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) RRS Discovery with a UK Met Office Ocean Data Acquisition (ODAS) buoy on deck. Photo: National Oceanography Centre, Southampton.
34 UNESCO in England INTERGOVERNMENTAL Intergovernmental Oceanographic OCEANOGRAPHIC Commission COMMISSION At a glance
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission:
• Facilitates global marine science • Increases international influence and profile of UK marine science • Informs marine science policy
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission facilitates international “The IOC cooperation and coordination in marine science and oceanography. provides a key It plays a leading role in coordinating and disseminating scientific ocean data UN mechanism to underpin marine science policy. for coordinating With this knowledge basis, IOC seeks to improve the management of oceans, observational working for their protection and sustainable development and supporting decision-making processes of the marine environment by IOC Member States. oceanography and ensuring Internationally, IOC is governed by an Assembly of Members and elected Executive Council members. It is coordinated by a Secretariat based at the robust scientific UNESCO headquarters in Paris. information is
In the UK, IOC is coordinated by the UK Delegation to IOC, based at used to inform the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) in Southampton. The UK IOC policy and address Delegation represents the UK at annual IOC meetings in Paris and draws the challenges upon the expertise of a network of leading UK-based marine scientists and oceanographers to inform the UK’s position at IOC. posed by climate change” Professor The NOC receives and disseminates information relating to global scale programmes, such as the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), Tsunami Edward Hill Warning and Mitigation Programmes and the General Bathymetric Chart OBE, Head UK of the Oceans (GEBCO). The remit also involves contributing to policy and IOC-UNESCO programme decisions by way of participation at biannual meetings of the Delegation. Executive Council and General Assembly.
Ocean affairs are rapidly rising up UK national and international political and economic agendas, driving increased demand for trusted high-quality scientific data and advice. The IOC provides a key UN mechanism for coordinating observational oceanography and ensuring robust scientific information is used to inform policy and address the challenges posed by climate change and the needs of developing states
UNESCO in England 35 MEMORY OF THE WORLD
The Memory of the World Programme looks to preserve, promote and protect our written and audiovisual heritage
Hereford Mappa Mundi, inscribed on the UNESCO International Memory of the World Register. Photo: Hereford Cathedral.
36 UNESCO in England Memory of the World
At a glance
The Memory of the World Programme:
• Supports archives and libraries with funding applications • Offers external validation of the significance of their collection • Highlights the UK’s archival assets
Memory of the World in England
Forty-nine English collections have been inscribed onto the Memory of the UK UNESCO World Register: inscription has International Memory of the World Register exceeded our • Arthur Bernard Deacon, 1903-27 (Royal Anthropological Institute of expectations Great Britain and Ireland): The original drawings and notes of Arthur and developed Bernard Deacon, during his visit to Malekula and the New Hebrides (Vanuatu) in 1926, recorded the language, customs and traditional our thinking tales of the people he studied, and illustrate the famous sand drawing on engaging tradition for which the islands are still renowned. audiences with • Dutch West India Company (The National Archives): The archives archives. are a primary resource for researching the history of the European expansion into West Africa and America. The records concern various themes such as commerce and slave trade, warfare, early modern diplomacy, plantation cultures and daily life issues. Joint inscription with Netherlands, Brazil, Ghana, Guyana, Netherlands Antilles, Suriname and USA.
• Hereford Mappa Mundi (Hereford Cathedral): The only complete example of a large medieval world map intended for public display. The map is pivotal in our understanding of medieval cartography and sense of place, and still has relevance to all peoples in helping them to understand their sense of humanity and self.
• Historic Ethnographic Recordings 1898-1951 (British Library): The collection contains field recordings of orally transmitted cultures made throughout the world by linguists and musicologists.
• 1215 Magna Carta (British Library, Lincoln Cathedral, and Salisbury Cathedral): One of the most celebrated documents in English history. It is often claimed to be the cornerstone of English liberty, law and democracy, and its legacy has been its enduring worldwide influence.
UNESCO in England 37 • Manuscript Collection of Shota Rustaveli’s Poem “Knight in the Panther’s Skin” (The Bodleian Library): This collection consists of a mixture of Georgian, oriental and European cultural traditions created during major political, socio-economic and cultural changes throughout the Caucasian and Middle East regions. It provides unique information about the lifestyle, traditions and characterisations of different social groups in the Middle Ages from the royal family to merchants and peasants.
• Membership Application Certificate (Institution of Civil Engineers): The Institution of Civil Engineers is the world’s oldest professional engineering body. Its global membership has transformed the world since 1818. The membership application certificates provide a unique biographical record of engineers which chronicles their role in shaping civilisation, providing a socio-economic insight into their backgrounds.
• Registry of Slaves of the British Caribbean 1817-1834 (The National Archives): Enslaved Africans made up the great majority of transatlantic migrants who were forcibly removed to the Americas from Columbus’ first voyages in the fifteenth century until the nineteenth century. The Trans-Atlantic slave trade, originating in Africa and ending in the Caribbean and the Americas, remains a sensitive subject for several reasons, including issues of race, morality, ethics, identity, underdevelopment and reparations. Joint inscription with the Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Dominica, Jamaica, St Kitts and Trinidad and Tobago.
• Silver Men: West Indian Labourers at the Panama Canal (The National Archives): The documentary heritage concerning West Indians and their experience in, and contribution to, the Panama Canal represents one of the most significant movements of voluntary migration to emerge during the post-emancipation period after 1838. Joint inscription with Barbados, Jamaica, Panama, Saint Lucia and USA.
• Appeal of 18 June 1940 (BBC Sound Archives): The Appeal of 18 June is one of the most remarkable pieces in the history of radio broadcasting. The Appeal showed that radio was no longer just a means of entertainment or propaganda. Radio could also provide the technical means to enable an isolated individual (General de Gaulle) to launch a huge resistance movement from outside his own country, to urge his fellow citizens to oppose foreign rule and subservience and to fight for the restoration of freedoms. The power and universality of this medium require no further proof. Joint inscription between France and the UK.
• Battle of the Somme (Imperial War Museum): The 1916 film, The Battle of the Somme, is significant both as the compelling documentary record of one of the key battles of the First World War, and as the first feature-length documentary film record of combat produced anywhere in the world.
38 UNESCO in England • Churchill Archives (Churchill Archives Centre): The collection is the personal archive of Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965), soldier, writer, politician, orator and statesman. The archive was assembled by Sir Winston during his long-life and career and comprises his personal, public, political and literary correspondence and papers, including his drafts and annotated notes for his celebrated speeches and broadcasts. The material consists of some one million items stored in two and a half thousand archival boxes.
UK Memory of the World Register
• Archive of Charles Booth’s Inquiry into the Life and Labour of the People in London, 1886-1903 (London School of Economics Library): The archive comprises over 450 volumes of interviews, questionnaires, observations and statistical information. It documents the social and economic life of London, highlighting all of its contrasts, complexities and contradictions.
• Bill of Rights, 1689 (The Parliamentary Archives): The Bill of Rights is the closest document that the UK has to a written constitution. An Act of Parliament passed in December 1689; it is a watershed document in the history of the relationship between monarchy and Parliament. It firmly established the principles of frequent parliaments, free elections, and freedom of speech within Parliament. All the main principles of the Bill of Rights are still in force today.
• BT Research Centre Collection, 1878-1995 (BT Heritage): The Post Office / BT research reports and memoranda document over a century of the achievements of British telecommunications engineers and scientists in pushing the boundaries of communications technology.
• Canterbury Cathedral Collection (Canterbury Cathedral): The medieval archive of Canterbury Cathedral complements the Cathedral’s built heritage, which has gained recognition as of world importance, being part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The medieval archive dates from the 9th century to the 16th century and has been cared for by the Cathedral for the centuries since. The archive helps tell the story of the Cathedral, its monastery, its buildings, its work and its people, and the documents pre-date any of the Cathedral buildings visible today.
• Charter of King William I to the City of London (City of London Corporation Archives): This charter is the oldest document in the archive of the City of London, one of the most important city archives in North- Western Europe. The Charter appears to be the earliest royal or imperial document which guarantees the collective rights of the inhabitants of any town.
UNESCO in England 39 • Children’s Society Archive (Hidden Lives Archives): The Children’s Society Archive charts the development of child care practice and policy from the Victorian period onwards. The estimated 140,000 case files for individual children assisted by the organisation contain unique information about the history and practice of childcare, behavioural and mental health issues, the diseases of poverty, nutrition, and children’s mental and physical development in Victorian and Edwardian times.
• The Correspondence Collection of Robert Owen (1821-1858) (National Cooperative Archive): The Collection consists of 3,000 manuscript letters to and from Owen covering the period 1821-1858. Owen was key in developing the ideas of co-operation that are the basis of the worldwide co-operative movement, which today boasts over 860 million members.
• Cura Pastoralis of Gregory (The Bodleian Library): King Alfred’s translation from the Latin of Gregory’s Pastoral Care is a manuscript book, dating from around 890 CE and is claimed to be the earliest surviving book written entirely in the English language.
• Dean & Chapter Exeter Library Manuscript (Exeter Cathedral): The Exeter Book is an anthology of poetry in Old English, written down around 970 CE, and is one of only four surviving major poetic manuscripts in that vernacular. Since it is the largest and probably the oldest of them, and since its contents are not found in any other manuscript, it can claim to be the foundation volume of English literature - one of the world’s principal cultural artefacts.
• Death Warrant of King Charles I (1649) (The Parliamentary Archives): The warrant for the execution of King Charles I is the most significant constitutional document held by the Parliamentary Archives and is perhaps the most dramatic record relating to English history. The Death Warrant contains the signatures and seals of fifty of the commissioners who tried Charles I, including that of Oliver Cromwell.
• Diaries of Anne Lister (West Yorkshire Archive Service): This unique set of diaries (1806-1840) which run to four million words were written by Anne Lister of Shibden Hall, Halifax, West Yorkshire (1791-1840). Anne Lister was a remarkable landowner, business woman, intrepid traveller, mountaineer and lesbian.
• Documentary Heritage of the Women’s Suffrage Movement in Britain, 1865-1928 (The Women’s Library and The Parliamentary Archives): This selection of eight items tell the story of the women’s suffrage movement from the 1860s to the achievement of suffrage in 1928.
40 UNESCO in England • Domesday Book (The National Archives): Domesday provides a unique snapshot of English society at a pivotal moment in its history. It is The National Archives’ earliest surviving public record and, perhaps, the most iconic. Commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1085, it records in immense detail who held what land and rights in England and parts of Wales, both before the Norman Conquest in 1066 and after it.
• Dorothy Wordsworth’s Journal (Wordsworth Trust): Dorothy Wordsworth’s Grasmere journal is a work of literature of international significance. It was also the inspiration for her brother William, one of the leading figures of British Romanticism. The journal gives readers today a unique insight into the lives of these two remarkable people.
• The Great Parchment Book of the Honourable The Irish Society, 1639 (London Metropolitan Archives): A major survey, compiled in 1639 by a Commission instituted under the Great Seal by Charles I, the Book is a survey of all the estates in Derry managed by the City of London Corporation through the Irish Society and City of London livery companies.
• The Gough Map (The Bodleian Library): The Gough Map, dated to the 14th Century, is the most important and most enigmatic cartographic representation of Great Britain from the medieval period. It is the earliest surviving route map of Britain, and the earliest surviving map depicting Britain with a recognisable coastline and depicts over six hundred towns and villages.
• GPO Film Unit Collection, 1933-1940 (British Postal Museum & Archive, BT Heritage and British Film Institute): The pioneering GPO Film Unit represents the start of what is now widely regarded as the beginnings of the British Documentary Movement and the first self- conscious attempt to create a British national cinema. Its iconic films have proved to have an ever-lasting popularity and appeal that hasn’t dwindled in over 75 years.
• Hitchcock’s Silent Films (British Film Institute): While Alfred Hitchcock is one of the most famous film directors of all time, his first ten silent films – nine of which survive – are little known compared to his later work. Made between 1925 and 1929, the silent films are among the greatest achievements of British silent cinema, and are blueprints for the rest of his body of work, containing many of his characteristic motifs and obsessions.
• Letter from George Stephenson (Liverpool Record Office): This is a unique holograph letter written by George Stevenson to his son Robert. It was sent during the period of construction of the world’s first passenger railway between Liverpool and Manchester (1827).
UNESCO in England 41 • London County Council Bomb Damage Maps (London Metropolitan Archives): These printed maps were extensively annotated with the use of colour keys by the Architects Department of the London County Council to indicate, building by building, bomb damage during the Second World War. This is the most detailed record of damage to London’s built environment caused by aerial bombardment.
• Medieval Records of St Giles’s Hospital, Norwich (Norfolk Record Office): The medieval records of St Giles’s Hospital at Norwich (known as the ‘Great Hospital’), founded c. 1249, have no rival anywhere in the country. They are the fullest, and by far the most important, set of British medieval hospital records to survive the English Reformation.
• Narrative Created through Sirkka-Lissa Konttinen’s Photography and Amber’s Films (Amber Collection): The Amber film & photography collective has been based in the North East of England since 1969, with a self-determined remit to record working-class and marginalised lives in its region. Forty years of photography by Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen, and of films by the collective, capture the epic locations of shipbuilding and coal and the life of communities – from the terraced streets of Byker to the flawed and visionary Byker Wall Estate and across the North East.
• Papers of the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, 1823-1854 (Royal National Lifeboat Institution): The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is the charity that saves lives at sea around the UK and Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1824 by Sir William Hillary, a soldier and philanthropist, who witnessed and was involved in shipwreck rescues where he lived on the Isle of Man. The collection relates to the early days of the institution, known until 1854 as the Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck.
• Peterloo Relief Fund Account Book (The John Rylands University Library): The Peterloo Relief Fund Account Book provides vivid, first- hand documentary evidence of one of the most significant events in British history, the Peterloo Massacre (1819). This small volume records payments made to those who were wounded in the Massacre, and to the dependants of those killed.
• Peter Worden Collection of Mitchell and Kenyon films (British Film Institute National Archive): The collection is recognised as the most exciting film discovery of recent times in Britain. This extraordinary actuality footage is a vivid and unparalleled social record of early 20th century British life – ordinary people in everyday situations. The geographical spread of the material encompasses Lancashire, Yorkshire, the Midlands, Scotland, Ireland, the North East, Bristol and North Wales.
42 UNESCO in England • Robert Hooke’s Diary, 1672-1683 (Culture, Heritage and Libraries Department of the City of London Corporation): Robert Hooke (1635- 1703) worked at the forefront of physics, astronomy, microscopy, physiology and geology and published the first fully illustrated scientific textbook, Micrographia. He was the first UK professional experimental scientist. His enormous contribution to 17th century scientific research and London architecture is revealed in his Diary.
• Robert Stephenson and Company Archives (National Railway Museum): The archives of Robert Stephenson & Co. are the unique documentary record of how the UK gave railways to the world.
• Roman Curse Tablets from Bath (Bath & North East Somerset Council): The Roman curse tablets are the personal and private prayers of 130 individuals inscribed on small sheets of lead or pewter and cast into the hot springs at Bath. The tablets are believed to range in date from the 2nd to the late 4th century CE.
• The Royal Institution Laboratory Notebook of Michael Faraday (Royal Institution): Michael Faraday (1791-1867) is one of the most significant and famous scientific figures who ever lived and worked in the UK. His discoveries of electro-magnetic rotations and induction paved the way for engineering applications of electricity which fundamentally and permanently altered technological practice. Faraday recorded making these and many other discoveries, mostly in the basement laboratory of the Royal Institution, in a set of ten meticulously kept laboratory notebooks.
• Royal Mail Archive 1636-1969 (The British Postal Museum and Archive): The British Postal Museum and Archive (BPMA) is unique in giving insight into the developments of communication within the UK and abroad. The archive shows the development of the postal service and the impact it had on villages, towns and cities throughout the UK (and Ireland to 1922).
• Shakespeare Documents (Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and The National Archives): The ‘Shakespeare Documents’ are the key archive sources for understanding the life of one of the world’s most celebrated poets and playwrights, William Shakespeare (1564-1616). These unique handwritten documents, dating from within Shakespeare’s lifetime, provide an evidential basis for understanding the narrative of his life.
• Thomas Hardy Archive (Dorset Country Museum): Thomas Hardy is a literary figure of international importance, both seminal and transitional. The collection at Dorset Country Museum features many original manuscripts, including three novels, Under the Greenwood Tree, The Woodlanders and The Mayor of Casterbridge and two books of verse, Satires of Circumstance and Late Lyrics and Earlier.
UNESCO in England 43 • Tyne & Wear Shipyards Collection (Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums): The shipbuilding collections deposited at Tyne & Wear Archives are the major source of information on the many shipyards in the North-East of England that helped to shape the unique identity of the region and made shipbuilding one of the key economic activities on Tyneside and Wearside. The industry also made a significant contribution to world maritime history.
• Wakefield Court Rolls (Yorkshire Archaeological Society): The rolls are an almost complete series of manorial rolls documenting the business of the manor of Wakefield from 1274 to the abolition of manorial jurisdiction in 1925.
• Wedgwood Museum Archive (The Wedgwood Museum): The collection is one of the most complete ceramic manufacturing archives in existence. Unparalleled in its diversity and breadth, the 80,000 plus documents embrace every imaginable subject from pot to people, transport to trade, society and social conditions.
• West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum Records (1814-1991) (West Yorkshire Archive Service): The West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum, Wakefield, 1818-1995, was one of the world’s most famous and active research institutions for the systematic study of the ‘insane brain’. The records are not only an unparalleled resource for a pioneering research centre, but also for the medical, social and family history of the West Riding - the largest geographical county in England.
• Winchester Pipe Rolls (Hampshire Record Office): The Winchester Pipe Rolls are the most complete set of manorial accounts still surviving. Starting in 1208-9 CE they continue almost unbroken to 1710-11 CE, and record income and expenditure across the Bishop of Winchester’s estates in the most minute detail.
UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme was established to protect and promote access to audiovisual and documentary heritage that is of global significance to humankind. The Programme’s vision is that: “the World’s documentary heritage belongs to all, should be fully preserved and protected for all and, with due recognition of cultural mores and practicalities, should be permanently accessible to all without hindrance”.
The Programme’s International Memory of the World Register is a list of audiovisual and documentary heritage that demonstrates global significance, impact and value. The UK Memory of the World Register honours documentary heritage of national and regional significance.
44 UNESCO in England Memory of the World in action
PROMOTION CASE STUDIES Shakespeare Birthplace Trust William Shakespeare, one of the world’s most celebrated poets and playwrights, is at the heart of everything at the Shakespeare Birthplace The National Trust. The Trust preserves and provides access to the Shakespeare family Records of Scotland homes and an internationally significant archive, library and museum approached the collection. Along with The National Archives, the Trust has the privilege and responsibility of caring for the majority of the known ‘Shakespeare archive following documents’ - archives dating from within Shakespeare’s lifetime that inscription, offering provide key sources for his biography. The value of this material was to digitise all the recognised by the UK UNESCO Memory of the World Programme in Spring 2014, during the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth. pre-1562 volumes (16,000 pages). The initial motivation for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and The National Archives partnership nomination to the UK UNESCO Memory of the World register was to recognise and raise the profile of the Shakespeare collections held at Stratford-upon-Avon and London. These collections offer unique insights into William Shakespeare’s personal and creative journey, and reveal the influence and interplay between the key locations in his life. The partnership also wanted to strengthen relations between the partners and find new ways of reaching shared audiences. A notable example of this was the loan of Shakespeare’s Will from The National Archives to the Shakespeare Birthplace in summer 2016. The return of Shakespeare’s Will to Stratford-upon-Avon, where it was composed 400 years before, captured the imagination of visitors and media in the 400th anniversary of his death.
During the three weeks the Will was on display, it attracted 12,000 visitors, who viewed it alongside other contemporary ‘Shakespeare documents’ from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust collection. The visitor numbers were twenty times greater than the Trust usually see in the collection’s exhibition space. The attention and excitement generated demonstrated the vibrancy and draw that documentary heritage can have, when time is taken to reflect and articulate its value. UK UNESCO inscription has exceeded the Trust’s expectations and developed the thinking on engaging audiences with archives.
45 UNESCO in England 45 UNESCO CHAIRS & UNITWIN NETWORKS UNESCO Chairs & UNITWIN Networks are a global network of universities that carry out research in areas of UNESCO’s competency
UNESCO Chair Professor Robin Coningham on the ruins of Kasthamandap with Bhesh Nayaran Dhal, Director General of Archaeology at the Government of Nepal. Photo: Durham University.
46 UNESCO in England UNESCO Chairs & UNITWIN Networks
At a glance
UNESCO Chair status and UNITWIN Network membership:
• Increase the gravitas and credibility of their research • Broker new partnerships • Encouraged members to engage in leadership activities
UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks in England ... being accepted into the There are thirteen active UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs in England: Programme is • UNESCO Chair in Adult Literacy and Learning for Social in recognition of Transformation (University of East Anglia): This Chair aims to enhance understanding of how adult learning can contribute to sustainable their academic livelihoods and address inequalities in the poorest communities of the excellence and world. the contribution of their research • UNESCO Chair in Analytics and Data Science (University of Essex): The Chair supports the development of skills, research and capacity in to UNESCO’s the area of analytics and data science, both nationally and internationally. core mission of In particular, the Chair is looking to support the development of the promoting peace knowledge base and expertise in developing countries. in the minds of • UNESCO Chair in Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural men and women. Heritage (Durham University): The Chair seeks to develop debates, policies and toolkits to evaluate the economic, ethical and social impacts of cultural heritage, strengthen its protection in crisis and conflict situations, and prevent its use to exacerbate differences and tensions.
• UNESCO Chair in African Peace and Conflict Studies (University of Bradford) (2008-2015): The Chair promoted an integrated system of research, education, training, capacity building, information and documentation in the field of African peace and conflict studies.
• UNESCO Chair in Cultural Property Protection and Peace (University of Newcastle): The Chair aims to reduce prejudice and foster mutual understanding through inter-cultural engagement.
• UNESCO Chair in Gender Research (Lancaster University): The Chair strengthens the coordination and development of policy-relevant gender equality research.
UNESCO in England 47 • UNESCO Chair in Geoscience and Society (University of Plymouth): Most of society’s most pressing societal issues relate, directly or indirectly, to the wise exploitation of the Earth’s raw materials and protection from its extreme natural threats. This UNESCO Chair promotes the role of Earth science in realising sustainable development, especially in training young Earth scientists to effectively address real-world contemporary issues.
• UNITWIN Network in Global Pharmacy Education Development (UCL School of Pharmacy): The Network provides a framework to help develop pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences education on a global scale.
• UNESCO Chair in Higher Education Management (University of Bath): The Chair is involved in developing twinning and other co-operative linking arrangements between the University of Bath and universities in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as developing sub-regional and regional cooperation networks based at the participating institutions.
• UNESCO Chair in ICT for Development (Royal Holloway, University of London): The Chair focuses on how ICTs are used for development, and especially on how they can make a difference to the lives of the poor and marginalised.
• UNESCO Chair in Intercultural Studies and Teacher Education (Institute of Education, University of London) (2000-2016): The Chair worked to deepen intercultural studies in educational institutions by implementing measures in the areas of: curriculum, teaching methods, teaching materials, language teaching, school life and governance, teacher education and school and community relations.
• UNESCO Chair in Media Freedom, Journalism Safety and the Issue of Impunity (University of Sheffield): The Chair works to build capacity for the evaluation and mitigation of risks to free and independent journalism and public discourse.
• UNESCO Chair in New Media Forms of the Book (University of Bedfordshire): The Chair promotes an integrated system of research, training, information and documentation in the fields of new media forms of the book.
• UNESCO Chair in Water Science (University of Birmingham): The Chair facilitates inter-disciplinary research, education and awareness raising to tackle water scarcity around the world.
• UNITWIN Network in Humanitarian Engineering including IT (Coventry University): The Network aims to place cultural diversity and understanding at the heart of engineering and computing education.
48 UNESCO in England • UNESCO Chair in Political Economy of Education (University of Nottingham) (2005-2015): The purpose of this Chair was to develop the political economy of education comparatively within the content of international development objectives.
The academics involved with the UNESCO Chair and UNITWIN Programme were producing high-quality research long before they joined the global UNESCO universities network. Indeed, being accepted into the Programme is in recognition of their academic excellence and the contribution of their research to UNESCO’s core mission of promoting peace in the minds of men and women. Joining the network provides the universities involved with the impetus, platform and global networks to engage in leadership activities to tackle the complex challenges of our world from the eradication of poverty in all its forms to climate change adaptation and mitigation.
UNESCO in England 49 UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks in action
CASE RESEARCH STUDIES UNESCO Chair in Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage The UNESCO Chair in Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage was established in 2014 at Durham University, joint custodian of one of England’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
With the mission to pilot and share toolkits to evaluate the social and economic impacts of heritage, the Chair team has also delivered field laboratories to strengthen the capacity of heritage protection professionals in Asia. Participating in a six-year field research and training program, supported by UNESCO through the Japanese- Funds-in-Trust-for-UNESCO, Durham’s team has focused on promoting sustainable Buddhist pilgrimage within Nepal’s western Terai to meet United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8. Undertaken with partners from Nepal’s Government, UNESCO, Japan and other UK universities, its diverse activities have ranged from discovering Asia’s earliest Buddhist Shrine, a sixth century BCE timber structure at the birthplace of the Buddha - Lumbini, in addition to the mapping, protecting and presenting of less recognised sites. Although one of Nepal’s less developed regions, the Asia Development Bank has predicted that the annual number of pilgrims visiting Lumbini will rise to five million by 2020, offering employment and development. Working in advance of major infrastructure investment, the Chair is co-designing an inclusive approach which offers sustainable heritage protection with benefits to local stakeholders and incoming pilgrims on Nepal’s nascent pilgrim circuit.
UNESCO Chair in Gender Research, Lancaster University
A recent focus has been on the relationship between gender inequality and violence against women and men. This is a contribution to the wider aim of the Chair to develop globally linked research on gender inequality. It works towards the vision of zero violence.
Distinguished Professor Sylvia Walby OBE – UNESCO Chair in Gender Research – leads a team of researchers to develop the measurement framework for violence against women and men. This contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 on Gender Equality and Goal 16 on peace, both of which require improving the measurement of violence to know if progress is being made. This work engages with multiple bodies, from civil society, to national and European government to UN entities, each of which has a stake in this development.
50 UNESCO in England RESEARCH CASE STUDIES UNESCO Chair in ICT for Development, Royal Holloway, University of London
ICTs have enormous potential to empower poor people and marginalised communities. They also have a much darker side, and unless this is addressed such potential cannot be realised. Unfortunately, attention amongst those working in international development has tended to focus on the overwhelmingly positive aspects of mobile technologies, rather than on their potential to do harm. One of the most pernicious uses of mobile devices is to harass people, and the UNESCO Chair in ICT4D is therefore currently undertaking a collaborative research project in countries across the world to explore and highlight some of these darker aspects, particularly in the context of the sexual harassment of women.
This research began in Pakistan in 2016 and is currently ongoing in Pakistan and India. It is being undertaken in collaboration with partner institutions such as the International Islamic University and COMSATS IIT (Pakistan) and IIT Delhi (India), as well as with UN agencies (such as UN Women and the ITU), private sector companies and civil society organisations.
UNESCO in England 51 CASE NEW PARTNERSHIPS STUDIES UNESCO Chair in Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage
Following Nepal’s devastating earthquake in 2015, the Government of Nepal and UNESCO mobilised the team from Durham’s Chair in Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage to assist in the evaluation and assessment of damaged monuments in the Kathmandu Valley’s UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Establishing new multidisciplinary partnerships with architects, engineers, historians, conservators, heritage managers, first responders and local communities, the team has co-designed methodologies to record and safeguard heritage sites after such natural disasters, as well as focusing on the recycling of historic building materials. With additional support from the UK’s Global Challenges Research Fund through AHRC and the British Academy, they are now piloting methods to reducing disaster risk to life and livelihoods by evaluating the seismic safety of Kathmandu’s historic urban infrastructure in direct support of Sustainable Development Goal 11. Committed to capacity strengthening, they extended their bilateral partnerships across South Asia through the participation of archaeologists and heritage managers from Sri Lanka, India and Myanmar in post-disaster field laboratories in 2016 with the support of AHRC and the Alliance de Protection du Patrimoine Culturel Asiatique. In turn, this network has initiated a new partnership with the Central Cultural Fund (Government of Sri Lanka) and the University of Jaffna to use their post-disaster experience to co- design new post-conflict methodologies to protect the war-damaged heritage of Jaffna and northern Sri Lanka.
(SDG11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable)
Lake District. Ramshalome from Friars Crag Derwent Water. Photo: Andrew Locking.
52 UNESCO in England WORLD HERITAGE World Heritage Sites are areas of Outstanding Universal Value and belong to all the people of the world
Lake District. Ramshalome from Friars Crag Derwent Water. Photo: Andrew Locking.
UNESCO in England World Heritage
At a glance
World Heritage Sites promote and facilitate:
• Enhanced appreciation of heritage among residents by taking it from a local into a global context • A world class tourist destination and enhanced visitor experience • Local partnership working • Improved local development plans • Social and economic regeneration
World Heritage World Heritage in England Sites belong to all There are eighteen World Heritage Sites in England: the peoples of the world, irrespective • Blenheim Palace: Standing in a romantic park created by the famous landscape gardener ‘Capability’ Brown, Blenheim Palace was presented of the territory on by the English nation to John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough, in which they are recognition of his victory in 1704 over French and Bavarian troops. Built located. between 1705 and 1722 and characterised by an eclectic style and a return to national roots, it is a perfect example of an 18th century princely dwelling.
• Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine’s Abbey, and St Martin’s Church: The Cathedral has been the seat of the spiritual head of the Church of England for nearly five centuries. Canterbury’s other important monuments are the modest Church of St Martin, the oldest church in England; the ruins of the Abbey of St Augustine, a reminder of the saint’s evangelizing role in the Heptarchy from 597 CE; and Christ Church Cathedral, a breath-taking mixture of Romanesque and Perpendicular Gothic, where Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered in 1170 CE.
• City of Bath: Founded by the Romans as a thermal spa, Bath became an important centre of the wool industry in the Middle Ages. In the 18th century, under George III, it developed into an elegant town with neoclassical Palladian buildings, which blend harmoniously with the Roman baths.
• Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape: Much of the landscape of Cornwall and West Devon was transformed in the 18th and early 19th centuries as a result of the rapid growth of pioneering copper and tin mining. The substantial remains are a testimony to the contribution Cornwall and West Devon made to the Industrial Revolution in the rest of Britain and to the fundamental influence the area had on the mining world at large.
54 UNESCO in England • Derwent Valley Mills: The Derwent Valley in central England contains a series of 18th - and 19th - century cotton mills and an industrial landscape of high historical and technological interest.
• Dorset and East Devon Coast (Jurassic Coast): The cliff exposures along the Dorset and East Devon coast provide an almost continuous sequence of rock formations spanning the Mesozoic Era, or some 185 million years of the earth’s history. The area’s important fossil sites and classic coastal geomorphologic features have contributed to the study of earth sciences for over 300 years.
• Durham Castle and Cathedral: Durham Cathedral was built in the late 11th and early 12th centuries to house the relics of St Cuthbert (evangelizer of Northumbria) and the Venerable Bede. It attests to the importance of the early Benedictine monastic community and is the largest and finest example of Norman architecture in England. The innovative audacity of its vaulting foreshadowed Gothic architecture. Behind the cathedral stands the castle, an ancient Norman fortress which was the residence of the prince-bishops of Durham.
• The English Lake District: Located in northwest England, the English Lake District is a mountainous area, whose valleys have been modelled by glaciers in the Ice Age and subsequently shaped by an agro-pastoral land- use system characterised by fields enclosed by walls.
• Frontiers of the Roman Empire: Hadrian’s Wall: The ‘Roman Limes’ represents the borderline of the Roman Empire at its greatest extent in the 2nd century BCE. It stretched over 5,000 km from the Atlantic coast of northern Britain, through Europe to the Black Sea, and from there to the Red Sea and across North Africa to the Atlantic coast. The 118-km- long Hadrian’s Wall was built on the orders of the Emperor Hadrian c. 122 CE at the northernmost limits of the Roman province of Britannia. It is a striking example of the organisation of a military zone and illustrates the defensive techniques and geopolitical strategies of ancient Rome.
• Ironbridge Gorge: Ironbridge is known throughout the world as the symbol of the Industrial Revolution. It contains all the elements of progress that contributed to the rapid development of this industrial region in the 18th century, from the mines themselves to the railway lines. Nearby, the blast furnace of Coalbrookdale, built in 1708, is a reminder of the discovery of coke. The bridge at Ironbridge, the world’s first bridge constructed of iron, had a considerable influence on developments in the fields of technology and architecture.
• Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City: Six areas in the historic centre and docklands of the maritime mercantile City of Liverpool bear witness to the development of one of the world’s major trading centres in the 18th and 19th centuries. Liverpool played an important role in the growth of the British Empire and became the major port for the mass movement of people, e.g. slaves and emigrants from northern Europe to America.
UNESCO in England 55 • Maritime Greenwich: The ensemble of buildings at Greenwich, an outlying district of central London, and the park in which they are set, symbolise English artistic and scientific endeavour in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Queen’s House (by Inigo Jones) was the first Palladian building in England, while the complex that was until recently the Royal Naval College was designed by Christopher Wren. The park laid out in an original design by André Le Nôtre, contains the Old Royal Observatory, the work of Wren and the scientist Robert Hooke.
• Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret’s Church: Westminster Palace, rebuilt from the year 1840 on the site of important medieval remains, is an example of neo-Gothic architecture. The site – which also comprises the small medieval Church of Saint Margaret, built in Perpendicular Gothic style, and Westminster Abbey, where all the sovereigns since the 11th century have been crowned – is of great historic and symbolic significance.
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: This historic landscape garden features elements that illustrate significant periods of the art of gardens from the 18th to the 20th centuries. The gardens house botanic collections (conserved plants, living plants and documents) that have been considerably enriched through the centuries. Since their creation in 1759, the gardens have made a significant and uninterrupted contribution to the study of plant diversity and economic botany.
• Saltaire: A complete and well-preserved industrial village in West Yorkshire dating from the second half of the 19th century. Its textile mills, public buildings and workers’ housing are built in a harmonious style of high architectural standards and the urban plan survives intact, giving a vivid impression of Victorian philanthropic paternalism.
• Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites: Stonehenge and Avebury, in Wiltshire, are among the most famous groups of megaliths in the world. The two sanctuaries consist of circles of menhirs arranged in a pattern whose astronomical significance is still being explored. These holy places and the nearby Neolithic sites are an incomparable testimony to prehistoric times.
• Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey: A striking landscape created around the ruins of the Cistercian Fountains Abbey and Fountains Hall Castle, in Yorkshire. The 18th century landscaping, gardens and canal, the 19th century plantations and vistas, and the neo-Gothic castle of Studley Royal Park, make this an outstanding site.
• Tower of London: The Tower of London is an internationally famous monument and one of England’s most iconic structures. It was built on the Thames by William the Conqueror to protect London and assert his power, and is the most complete example of an 11th century fortress palace remaining in Europe.
56 UNESCO in England World Heritage Sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are located. As a result they are intended to promote peace and intercultural understanding as well as the protection of our shared cultural and natural heritage. World Heritage Sites are required to develop a statement of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) to explain why the asset is of global importance. These statements are used to underpin local business marketing strategies, school curricula and the visitor experience. These statements of OUV can also help to re-define local perceptions of shared heritage, helping to promote community integration and collective responsibility for protecting and promoting the asset. The UNESCO World Heritage Convention and the World Heritage Centre’s Sustainable Tourism Programme provide an international framework for protecting our heritage while achieving sustainable tourism and economic development within World Heritage Sites. All of the UK sites surveyed by the UKNC have implemented sustainable tourism strategies which seek to enhance the tourist experience, and estimate that UNESCO World Heritage Site status generated £66 million in tourism revenue from April 2014 to March 2015.
UNESCO in England 57 World Heritage in action
CASE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STUDIES Saltaire World Heritage Site Saltaire was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2001. Protecting and promoting a World Heritage Site (WHS) takes commitment and community engagement. The new Management Plan was formulated by engaging members of the public and a range of key stakeholders, reviewing past projects, prioritising objectives and presenting an accessible and supported Plan. Bradford Council approved the Plan in late 2014. The Plan continues to provide sustainable development actions to benefit Saltaire in the longer term, good planning practice for protection and collaborative projects to harness the economic, cultural and social benefits of being a WHS.
The Plan was formulated using intensive methods of consultation with key stakeholders including 68 organisations and many more individuals. There were residents’ meetings, a drop-in exhibition, art- based consultation with local schools, media releases, a web presence, online questionnaire, a locally based employee survey and stalls at local festivals. An Equalities Impact Assessment was also produced alongside the consultation draft to assess the potential adverse impacts of the document on various equality groups.
The feedback was all tested against its relevance to the agreed Strategic Aims of the WHS, contribution to the Outstanding Universal Value of the WHS, it’s environmental, economic and social sustainability, the amount of support it had received, its ‘measurability’ and so on. Once that process was completed the resultant draft Plan was presented again for public consultation to check that feedback had been translated into the Plan in a way which still made sense.
As a Local Authority managed WHS, Saltaire’s significance is multi- layered presenting big challenges for the District. The Plan needed to achieve an effective balance between the benefits for local businesses and residents, regional and sustainable tourism and international heritage protection.
In 2015 Bradford Council won the Royal Town Planning Institute’s Award for ‘Excellence in Plan Making Practice’.
58 UNESCO in England CONSERVATION AND PARTNERSHIPS CASE STUDIES Durham World Heritage Site In 2016-17, Durham WHS took part in a national pilot project called ‘World Heritage Youth Ambassadors’ spearheaded by Blaenavon UNESCO World Heritage Site. Eight young people aged 14 - 17 came together from across three local schools and were based at Palace Green Library, Durham University. The ‘YAMS’ explored and researched their World Heritage Sites, contributed to public events, took part in workshops, helped inform 7,000 people at Celebrate Science, a huge annual science festival held in the heart of the World Heritage Site, and even visited the Island of Lindisfarne to discuss its potential. Each received official accreditation from ASDAN for their volunteering ranging from ten to sixty hours. Members of the group are looking forward to further opportunities to champion their local heritage and are a huge asset to the Durham World Heritage Site.
EDUCATION
Durham World Heritage Site Study and learning have been at the heart of Durham WHS for over 1,000 years and contribute to its Outstanding Universal Value. Beginning with the monastic library, traditions of learning of the Cathedral and the education of choristers for over 600 years, through the establishment of Durham University and its first college in the nineteenth century and hosting its Theology and Music Departments and the Institute of Advanced Studies, today this tradition continues to flourish.
St John’s College has started work on a new teaching, learning and study space in the heart of the World Heritage Site. The location of the new building just outside the Cathedral precinct is important symbolically, lying within the neutral ground of Durham Castle’s outer bailey but within the medieval city wall. This serves as a powerful metaphor for the modern concept of learning whereby different worldviews meet for the exchange of knowledge and the pursuit of truth within the safety of an intellectual free space. With a heritage stretching back to St Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede, St John’s lives out this tradition welcoming some 600 students of all faiths and none, and thriving as a Christian college within a secular university.
UNESCO in England 59 Summer pond-dipping session at Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey UNESCO World Heritage Site. Photo: National Trust.
60 UNESCO in England ENHANCED APPRECIATION OF HERITAGE CASE STUDIES Cornish Mining’s “Tinth” Anniversary The Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape UNESCO World Heritage Site organised a festival of cultural events to celebrate the anniversary of 10 years as a WHS in 2016 – the “Tinth” anniversary.
The goal was to interpret aspects of the Outstanding Universal Value of the Site and raise awareness of its status, by developing a programme to cover all ten areas of the extensive World Heritage Site – which includes large areas of Cornwall and West Devon.
The final programme comprised a variety of events, including a European Mining Heritage conference, a touring exhibition of new artwork inspired by the mining landscape, new drama productions and the “Man Engine” – the largest mechanical puppet ever constructed in Britain which toured the region. In total, there were 100 performances during the period May to November 2016, which attracted audiences in excess of 160,000 people. The Man Engine will continue to tour the UK in 2018.
Nearly one-in-three of the entire population of Cornwall poured into bustling town centres, onto remote cliff-tops and around iconic engine houses to greet the Man Engine. There was singing, dancing and a massive outpouring of communal pride. The Man Engine was awarded the best Arts Project at the National Lottery Awards 2017.
UNESCO in England 61 UNESCO in England
UNESCO promotes a culture of peace by fostering intercultural dialogue and international cooperation through collaborative work in the fields of education, the natural and social sciences, culture, communication and information.
England is home to a diverse network of UNESCO projects. From Biosphere Reserves to Creative Cities, Global Geoparks to World Heritage Sites, UNESCO is closer to home than you might think. Discover UNESCO near you at www.unesco.org.uk.
The UK National Commission for UNESCO (UKNC) works to support the UK’s contribution to UNESCO and bring the benefits of UNESCO to the UK. It is the hub for UNESCO-related matters in England and the UK as a whole.
The UKNC has three core priorities:
1. We provide expert, independent policy advice to the UK and devolved governments on UNESCO related issues.
2. We advise and support individuals and institutions in the UK, its Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies on accessing UNESCO accreditation and prizes and how to derive more value from their involvement with UNESCO.
3. We support the UK government’s agenda in helping UNESCO to become more effective.
In carrying out these roles, the UKNC relies on advice and support from its expert network, including specialists in the fields of education, culture, the sciences and communication and information from across Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England.
To learn more about UNESCO in England and how you can get involved, contact [email protected] or visit www.unesco.org.uk
62 UNESCO in England
WIDER VALUE of UNESCO to the UK