Stories from the waterside: cultural history and regional tourism development on the Rochdale and Ashton Canals, UK

Transcription

1 Stories from the waterside: cultural history and regional tourism development on the Rochdale and Ashton Canals, UK Prof Neil Ravenscroft and Dr Paul Gilchrist University of Brighton Presentation for Er-varen - Strengthening the experience of cultural history as a motor for the sustainable development of regional tourism, Zuiderzeemuseum, Enkhuizen, Netherlands, 6 September 2016

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4 Rochdale Canal Navigation restored 2002 Expected increased opportunities for tourism and leisure Businesses/developers expect income generation from canal users in future Canal adds to amenity value of residential developments

5 Tourism and leisure businesses on the Rochdale Canal Pubs and wine bars Restaurants Guest houses Cafes Hotels, inns and hostels 6.1 Attractions (inc. museums and galleries) 4.8 Sandwich shops 2.6 Moorings and boat hire 1.9 Boat builders, repair services and fuel 1 Children's adventure centres and outdoor pursuits 0 Tourist information centres Source: Ecotec (2003) The Economic Impact of Restoring the Huddersfield Narrow and Rochdale Canals

6 Canal users that are important to businesses on the Rochdale Canal Privately owned boats Hire and trip boats Anglers Cyclists Walkers Source: Ecotec (2003) The Economic Impact of Restoring the Huddersfield Narrow and Rochdale Canals

7 Promoting use More signs or tourist information on the towpaths, of reasons to stop, get off and have a look around. Apart from peace and beautiful scenery, for the typical tourist there perhaps aren t enough destinations especially for children, without it being spelt out for them. More signs please. [our premises] are just 500 metres away from the canal but you would not think so, as it is not mapped out to the boat people who travel on it, this would bring more business. Source: Ecotec (2003) The Economic Impact of Restoring the Huddersfield Narrow and Rochdale Canals

8 New Islington, East Manchester

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10 Cotton Mills, Ancoats, c.1820

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12 Cultural history and tourism development potential Anthony Burton, The Great Days of the Canals: (The Rochdale Canal s) most remarkable feature is, paradoxically, that is has no remarkable features no great tunnels, nor even extravagant aqueducts on a canal that crosses the Pennines at their wildest.

13 Using cultural history to promote leisure and tourism Kenny Hunter s Hawk sculpture at Broad Bottom Lock in Mytholmroyd. A reference to Ted Hughes poem Hawk Roosting.

14 Lucy Casson s Horse Bench at Hebden Bridge. The bench references the vernacular iconography of canal architecture and the use of horses across the canal linked industries.

15 New interpretation signage

16 Restoration, regeneration and storytelling What stories are told? What stories are recovered? What stories are ignored?

17 Cardroom Estate, East Manchester

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21 Friedrich Engels in Manchester

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23 Place-marketing, regeneration and cultural history

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25 The Collaborative Stories Spiral A participatory methodology for creating and telling community stories

26 Origins of the CSS Derived by a team of academics and youth workers who have been researching together for 8 years Paul Gilchrist and Neil Ravenscroft, University of Brighton Claire Holmes and Amelia Lee, LGBT Youth North West Niamh Moore, University of Edinburgh (was Manchester) We found that creating community stories was both fun and challenging

27 Extensive range of resources for oral history work: OHS, BL, HLF, EMOHA Methodologies like PAR do not always work for story-based research

28 Our Approach A methodology for supporting communities and partners, including academics, to engage in research which involves producing stories Where community history and story-telling are understood as a research practice Where communities are understood as dynamic and networked We want the collaborative stories spiral to help communities to: engage in ethical storytelling produce critical stories stories that are important to tell stories that create change

29 The Collaborative Stories Spiral A spiralling four phase process 1) situating community stories 2) generating community stories 3) mediating community stories 4) remediating community stories

30 The Collaborative Stories Spiral

31 Situating stories Critical questions: Why is a story being created and told now? What do we want the story or stories to do? Who is telling the story? Who is the we? Who/what is being made in/visible? (How) does this matter? What stories have already been told by/for/ about this group/ area?

32 Generating Stories Critical questions: Are inclusive, participatory methods being used? Are the methods appropriate for group? What kinds of stories are the methods eliciting?

33 Mediating Stories How is the story or story brought together from the materials? How does the format and the materials relates to the story? Who is involved?

34 Remediating Stories Stories continue to act on the world: What might happen the stories once they are finished? What work does the group or the community want their stories to do in the world? Has this been considered from the outset? What might the unintended consequences of creating and sharing stories be?

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