Cultural Townscapes

Cultural Townscapes Within cities and boroughs of the West Midlands conurbation (Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Sandwell, Walsall & Dudley) the visual character of some streets is affected by the business, religious, cultural and day-to-day life of particular communities.

The character of some streets is particularly defined today by the life and activities of communities who have arrived in significant numbers since 1950, including communities from the Caribbean, the Indian sub-continent and East Africa. These streets or ‘cultural townscapes’ can often be found in very multicultural areas such as Blakenhall, Wolverhampton, Soho Road, Birmingham and High Street, Smethwick.

In 2006 a film project was completed in the areas above (led by the Outreach department in partnership with the regional Planning & Development  department) which is the first step in opening a dialogue with people who live and work in cultural townscapes and also a wider audience that includes a non-traditional heritage audience and other stakeholders, including conservation colleagues.

Questions asked in the film include:

• Are there particular buildings and places around here that are special for you, that mean a lot to you?
• If you were showing a visitor around here where would you take them to show them what contribution your community has made to this area?
• What places or buildings around this area do you think of as local landmarks – perhaps somewhere you see when you’ve been away and think ‘I’m home!’?
• What was it like when you first moved here? Or when you were younger and growing up?

This is an on-going project. In 2007 there will be both community  and conservation specialist events that will contribute further to English Heritage’s understanding of what heritage in the built environment means for different communities.

Copies of the DVD will be available from early 2007.  Please contact Micheal Taylor for more detail on 0121 6256820 or michael.taylor@english-heritage.org.uk