Consisting of youth from Iraq, Syria and Jordan, the Reconfiguring Heritage Research Team created the following poem as part of the inception workshop for a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship. The workshop was held by Sofya Shahab, a Research Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies and a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow.
Each member of the research team composed their own lists in response to the prompt ‘Heritage is…’ and were then invited to share one of the items on their list to co-construct the poem.
The poem was presented at Facing Change: Jordan 2024, a recent conference organised jointly by INTO (the International National Trusts Organisation), the Cultural Protection Fund and Petra National Trust. The event explored how heritage organisations are facing the challenges of adapting to our changing climate, to conflict and threats to intangible and tangible cultural heritage, and to finding the resources they need.
Heritage Is…
A fast-paced dance to the beat and rhythms of our souls, eliciting a sense of euphoric acceptance.
Heritage is a long tale through the night – I listen to that story and remember a lot.
Heritage is a tiny box to hold your memories.
Heritage is what can be destroyed, and heritage is what can be restored.
Heritage is giving me hope.
Heritage is the colours of my grandma’s thobe.
Heritage is Mem Ararat and his name.
Heritage is connection and belonging through celebration.
Heritage is my grandmother’s face tattoo.
Heritage is the path we take to leave our legacy to the next generation.
Heritage is my grandfather sitting in his armchair conducting to the music coming from the record player with his eyes closed.
Heritage is the crevices of my grandmother’s accent.
Heritage is my daughter’s future.
Heritage is sitting in my grandfather’s room and hearing his story and learning from him.
Heritage is the Seven Up bottle of my uncle’s home-brewed arak.
Heritage is places and songs and values that come together and make a home out of people.
Heritage is a way to connect with other communities and civilisations and see how at the end of it all we are similar.
