Common Ground
Go back to Festival at 250About The Project
Common Ground was an action research project which connected young people in the East of England with their local natural and cultural heritage through the arts. The three-year funded project began in 2020 and finished in March 2023, working in partnership with heritage organisations, charities and artists throughout the region.
Common Ground was ambitious and radical. It’s worked to make natural and cultural heritage relevant and meaningful for young people of all backgrounds, challenge stereotypes and make the sector more inclusive.
The project was supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. We are proud to have delivered this project in partnership with Norfolk Wildlife Trust, National Trust, Prince’s Trust, SHARE Museums East, Colchester + Ipswich Museums, and Suffolk Wildlife Trust.
Common Ground Resources
Download some useful resources below
Common Ground Full Evaluation Report
Common Ground Executive Summary
Common Ground Guidebook and Kitbag
This interactive guidebook captures learning and ideas from the project to help you plan, devise and co-produce creative heritage projects with young people. It aims to help you make your activities more creative, relevant and accessible to younger audiences.
The guidebook can be used by anyone working in natural or cultural heritage settings. You will find it particularly useful if you are an emerging and practising artist or creative practitioner (for example a performer, educator, animateur or workshop leader), an early to mid-career heritage professional (for example a learning officer, project manager, producer or coordinator) or if you are someone who wants to bring together a team to support, host or deliver creative projects in a heritage setting.
Alongside the guidebook you will also find a ‘kitbag’ of printable resources to work through with your team or participants.
The guidebook and resources have been created and produced by Lawrence Becko Associates and designer Aimee Haywood, in consultation with young creatives involved in Common Ground.
Kitbag resources
A taste of what's happened
Playtest
Over four weeks in July and August, Common Ground worked with theatre-makers Coney and four heritage partners across East Anglia to deliver Playtest – week-long workshops for young people, creating original games inspired by their local heritage and nature.
Groups of 12-18 year olds designed new experiences for audiences at National Trust Peckover House and Garden, Flag Fen Archaeology Park, Suffolk Wildlife Trust Carlton Marshes and around King’s Lynn with the Norfolk Wildlife Trust.
Ipswich Museum Collective Impact
Working with Story Makers Company and young participants from Volunteering Matters‘ Peer Action Collective, we creatively used Ipswich Museum’s collections to make an online space telling stories meaningful to young people.
The project combined visual storytelling with live art making, in a process Story Makers call a ‘story weave’. During online workshops, the young people co-created ideas and concepts for their online space. Artist Hannah Aria also led in-person creative media workshops at the Museum, where young people explored collections in relation to youth violence, crime and voicelessness.
Common Ground Leaders
Common Ground Leaders is a community of 18 – 25 year olds who are interested in learning more about the arts, heritage, creating, producing, and changing the world around them.
Over the past three years, they’ve been involved with guiding and designing the project, from curating exhibitions to commissioning artists to creating content for us! We’ve run Masterclasses on topics including project planning, freelancing and nature conservation, as well as offering paid opportunities.
Image: Kerry Bensley
