PROFESSIONAL ARCHAEOLOGY | A GUIDE FOR CLIENTS 2024 33 Sustainable futures: archaeology and social value | CASE STUDIES Throughout the project, we encouraged participants to document their experiences creatively, using art, photography, film and the written word to make sense of what they were learning and what they wanted to achieve. Art gives people the time and space they need to process their thoughts and consider their actions. This creative process enabled us to disseminate our learning to the wider community – the ripples of the project – where we were able to share the positive impacts of the scheme by reaching people that the project team would not otherwise have been able to engage with. The participants took it upon themselves to share what they know about the scheme online, as well as sharing their personal journeys with family and friends. ‘Making art helps Ripple Effect participants to explore their existing relationship with the River Avon and how that might change over time as the river itself changes. Sharing memories of previous experiences of the river has given us a chance to explore our emotional connection with it and how the life of the river is interwoven with our own lives through everyday experiences and key life events. As we continue as a group to record what we notice about the river’s ecology, and we learn about the potential impact of climate breakdown on its communities of life, we start to imagine how our own lives will change as a result and the actions we might take to better take care of the river and each other.’– James Aldridge, artist Andy Wallis, Salisbury River Park Senior User, Environment Agency, explains ‘A lot of the focus around this scheme is on the flood risk reduction it will provide, but it is about so much more than that. The Ripple Effect is showcasing all the other reasons to be doing the project, including ecology, heritage, amenity and art. It has been brilliant to see the group’s interest in the Salisbury River Park Scheme develop and to be able to explain the reasons why we are doing the work. This had been a challenging period for us to engage fully with the local community, so it is especially rewarding to see the group sharing this knowledge as ambassadors for the scheme. This will bring much wider benefits and we will be definitely looking to do something similar on other projects.’ When participating colleagues were asked for their feedback, one said ‘The Ripple Effect made me think a lot more about how we can convey often complex information to a range of different audiences. I have to admit that I was partly sceptical at the outset, never having worked on a project such as this, but it completely changed my view. Archaeology can be used as a vehicle to engage people with environmental projects Developing a relationship with the River Avon through art: cyanotype prints Reaping the benefits of interactive learning: handling the real collection as part of a discussion about deep time such as river restoration. I think we are great storytellers in archaeology and I can see this approach being applied to other environmental projects. It really made me think about the work I do in a new way and how I present it.’ With credit to James Aldridge, artist and facilitator. KEY OUTCOMES/MESSAGES • using archaeology and heritage has engaged people and resulted in more understanding of the area’s history, fostering a sense of community and a feeling of responsibility towards the river • more positive engagement with the experts has led to more understanding of the development work and its benefits • developing a personal connection to the project has engendered a sense of improved wellbeing in the participants
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzI0Mzk=