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Heritage and Wellbeing
“Heritage draws on issues of local identity and community cohesion by reminding people they are part of a story that began long before they were born and cannot be written for future generations without them” (Newson, 2018).
Engagement with Heritage can have a hugely positive impact on our physical, social and mental wellbeing.
Amongst adults, the key motivation for visiting heritage sites is to spend time with friends and family (42.4%). (DCMS 2019c).
The Lost & Found project takes its participants on a journey at a time when leaving your house, travelling and socialising is restricted.
Run throughout 2020 and 2021, it draws on one of Wessex Archaeology's unique assets - an archive of amazing things and experts to interpret them - to enable participants to embark on moments of learning, participation and discovery.
How did the project work?
The key to the Lost & Found project was its simplicity. At the heart of it, the idea was to create an accessible space where individuals felt safe to express themselves and participate in an activity in a way that held meaning for them.
Due to the restrictions in place, individuals joined each session from the comfort of their own homes. Artefacts from our archives acted as a vehicle for sessions, aiding discussion and providing opportunities for participants to share their own stories. Alongside this, there was homework for participants which brought in elements of creativity.
Discover the full story of Lost & Found and the details of the project, or view the culmination of the project in The Museum of Lost and Found.
Over to you! Run your own heritage wellbeing project
To create a legacy of shared skills for the heritage sector, we've created a guide to help you to prepare and deliver your own project, based on what we have learned and experienced during our successful project.
You can also download a PDF version of the toolkit, available below.
If you have any questions about running your own Digital Heritage Wellbeing Project, please don't hesitate to get in contact: