The ‘Rekindling the Past to Plan for the Future’ project at Holy Sepulchre, London, is helping us look extra carefully at this extraordinary Grade I listed church, its stories, its communities and its place in the City, as we begin shaping plans for its future.
At the heart of the project is a simple question: what does this place mean to people today, and what could it mean in the future?
Our approach to heritage starts with people. Rather than simply telling people the history of the church, we are creating opportunities to walk, look, listen, notice, create and contribute.
This summer, that included welcoming Year 7 students from Harris Academy Bermondsey to become heritage detectives, and explore the church through its renaissance art, architecture and slow looking.
This August, we’r taking London city workers on a series of Heritage & Wellbeing Walks connecting Holy Sepulchre with the streets and stories of Smithfield, the green spaces of the benefice and the wider City.
And we are learning so much as we go. Wellbeing is proving a powerful route into heritage. Schools offer exciting connections with young people and families, and education really helps break down barriers of religion, race, and age. Creative storytelling can make complex histories more immediate and accessible. We are also discovering where barriers exist, and where stronger partnerships will be needed.
Holy Sepulchre has many identities: Parish church, City church, National Musicians’ Church and home of the Royal Fusiliers Memorial Chapel. The opportunity now is to find the threads that connect these stories and help shape what comes next.
Because the future of a heritage place is not only about caring for a building.
This is about creating connection between people, place and the stories that make them meaningful.
