Unlocking the Societal Impact of Cultural Heritage through Participation and Community Resilience

Title: Understanding the Societal Impact of Cultural Heritage in Contemporary Europe

Seeking to join a Horizon Europe Cluster 2 consortium for HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-HERITAGE-07: Societal impact of cultural heritage, with openness to helping shape a proposal and relevant work packages.

My research explores how cultural heritage contributes to identity, belonging, resilience, and participation, particularly within rural and peripheral communities. I am especially interested in the societal role of intangible cultural heritage and how music, performance, storytelling, memory, and place can foster social cohesion and strengthen connections between generations and communities.

I would like to contribute to projects examining:

• How cultural heritage influences wellbeing, social inclusion, and quality of life

• The role of heritage in addressing rural isolation, demographic change, and social fragmentation

• Intergenerational transmission and young people’s engagement with heritage

• Cultural memory, oral history, and the social value of archives

• Participatory approaches that involve communities directly in documenting and interpreting heritage

• New digital approaches to widening engagement, including sound, digital storytelling, hybrid performance, and immersive interpretation

• The contribution of local cultural activity and creative micro-economies to resilient communities

My work combines ethnographic, participatory, and practice-based research methods and includes experience in community cultural development, cultural mapping, and digital heritage. I have particular expertise in folk theatre, sonic heritage, and living heritage environments, including community-based work in North Kerry and the development of the Living Tradition Lab.

I am interested in collaborating with researchers, cultural organisations, archives, museums, local authorities, NGOs, and partners concerned with cultural participation, social impact, wellbeing, and community resilience.