Discovering: Learning from projects, practice and perceptions
As part of the Empowering Design Practices project, we want to learn from the current landscape of historic places of worship in England and the communities leading change within them.
What kind of building projects have groups been undertaking in recent years and why? What challenges have they faced? How are they engaging with their wider communities in the process? What support and funding is available to those taking on projects to transform these spaces? What is the impact of these projects on the places in which they are situated? We are also exploring what values inspire and hinder the wider use of historic places of worship.
Through a combination of desk research, interviews, focus groups, site visits and workshops we are learning from:
What kind of building projects have groups been undertaking in recent years and why? What challenges have they faced? How are they engaging with their wider communities in the process? What support and funding is available to those taking on projects to transform these spaces? What is the impact of these projects on the places in which they are situated? We are also exploring what values inspire and hinder the wider use of historic places of worship.
Through a combination of desk research, interviews, focus groups, site visits and workshops we are learning from:
- Groups looking after historic places of worship who have completed a design project to renovate/reorder/extend their building
- Heritage and design professionals providing support to design projects of historic places of worship
- Support organisations and bodies providing advice, hands-on support, funding and other resources to this type of project
Workshop with St. Luke's Church Canning Crescent, Oxford