Making a Case for Heritage: A Starting Point

Without a common understanding of heritage, it will be impossible to gain widespread support.

The BC heritage sector believes heritage is broad and encompassing, describing the “tangible and intangible record of human imprint on the world.” It is culture and environment; it is how we connect to place and space and to each other, and it is alive with stories.

Heritage is buildings and artifacts, and traditions and knowledge. It is found in museums and historic sites, but it is also found in the land, water and air. It is what we see and what we can no longer see, but still hold in memory.

Heritage is not fixed in the past, but it is also found in our present, describing who we were and how we are, as well as who we might be in the future.

It is likely you recognize this approach to heritage. But you should not assume everyone has a similar appreciation of heritage. Help people to understand the evolving practice of heritage and its broad meaning and influence on your community.

Developing a Case

Use the intrinsic-instrumental-institutional framework to develop a well-rounded description of heritage in your community. Here are some suggestions to help you get started. (Read this short introduction to our recommended approach to making a case.)

Intrinsic

What does heritage mean to your community?

• Ask your members, directors and volunteers what heritage means to them and prepare a simple, yet visionary statement. Use their quotes to highlight their emotions and connections.

Instrumental

How can I count the importance of heritage to my community?

• Consider the ways your community interacts with your organization: your communications and membership lists and web site and social media analytics (e.g. the growth annual traffic and followers) are some numbers you should be able to find without much effort. Also, include the number of people who attend events, such as activities during Heritage Week,  Museums Week, and Culture Days, as well as your regular programming activities. You want to be able to broadly indicate the relevancy of your work to your community.
• Add an authoritative voice by referencing sources such as BC Museums Associations, Heritage BC, and the UNESCO World Heritage Convention.
• Consider your professional memberships and associations. This shows your level of participation beyond the local level and it will provide you with an opportunity to describe what is going on in other parts of the sector and province. You might be able to illustrate your case by drawing a comparison between your situation and what is happening elsewhere.

Institutional

How does your organization uphold this understanding and value of heritage?

• Consider different ways you project your organization’s profile and your community’s understanding and value of heritage: Mission statement, website, annual reports, communications, and presentations.
• Develop a short vision/values statement (or borrow one) and use it as much as possible (but make sure your actions are aligned).
• Describe how your organization represents the entire community, helping everyone to appreciate and understand the importance of stories and place.

Help people understand who you are, what you stand for, and what you contribute to your community.

More information about the definition of heritage can be found in the State of Heritage, as well as on our Heritage Definitions and FAQs page.