Over three decades our extraordinary festival community have showcased the wonderful and remarkable diversity of our heritage. From shepherd's huts to grand castles, nature reserves to streetlamps there has been so much to explore and discover, right on our doorsteps!
To celebrate our 30th anniversary we're creating a special Anniversary Gallery. A page on our website will highlight examples of the range of stories and the people behind them that have made Heritage Open Days so magical over the years. A 30 for 30 showcase to celebrate this year and provide a touchstone of what we're about for future years.
But we need your help!
Nominate your story
We're going through our records to find these stories but there are thousands upon thousands of events - we don't want to miss a gem in the search! Moreover, we are a grass roots led festival, so we want to know which stories YOU think are the best examples.
What we're looking for
We need 30 stories that will best showcase the diverse breadth of the festival across its 30 year history. To achieve this we'll be selecting stories based on these criteria:
- Diversity – We need a good spread of stories from different: geographic areas / organisational backgrounds / heritage types / festival years of participation.
- Impact – We're looking for stories that can demonstrate the joy and power of the festival; how it has impacted individuals and communities.
- Quality – As a gallery, a good quality image to illustrate is important. And with so few spaces the story needs to stand out as a brilliant and / or unique example in its diversity category.
Example
Below is an example of the gallery style. Click the image tiles to bring up a story example.
The Shepherd's Hut
Barford History & Community Group, Barford, Norfolk
In September 2012 the opening of a restored shepherd’s hut in one villager’s garden caused quite a stir. Alongside the local church the owner had decided to share this wonderful piece of agricultural heritage through the festival. Not just showing people the hut but also putting on a display about the area’s rich agricultural history. Over 200 people visited, their enthusiasm sparking the creation of the Barford History & Community Group. The group not only continued to explore and share their history with a series of talks and events throughout the year but also worked to build capacity in the community, setting up adult IT courses. They also contributed to the wider Heritage Open Days festival community by sharing their experiences at organiser workshops – and were recognised for their inspiring work with our ‘Community Champions’ award in 2014.
Why apply?
- The gallery will be a key part of our festival promotion this year and a reference for future years, providing a legacy of everyone's wonderful work.
- Organisers of the final gallery stories will be invited to and celebrated at a special Anniversary Showcase event with sector stakeholders in London this June.
- Thanks to the support of Players of People's Postcode Lottery organisers of successful stories, who are still actively involved, will be eligible for a small investment of £200 to support activity for the 2024 festival.
Timeline - What happens next?
1. Nominate
Send in your stories by 1 May for a chance to be included. We're so excited to see and share them!
2. Sift & sort
Your national team will sift through the entries and sort into categories to ensure we cover diversity and prepare for the vote.
3. Vote
Watch this space! We can't (and shouldn't) make the final selection alone. We will be asking for your votes on which of the nominated entries will go into the gallery.
4. Reveal
The final gallery will be published at our showcase event in June.