Key findings:
- 86% of UK public agree cultural heritage must be protected in times of crisis
- 81% agree cultural heritage protection should be considered alongside humanitarian efforts
- Most respondents engage with cultural heritage in-person - over half at home with family (53%), compared to just 23% via social media
A vast majority of people across the UK believe cultural heritage should be protected in places affected by conflict and disaster, according to new research commissioned by the British Council.
It found that almost nine in ten people surveyed across the nation (86%) believe it is important to protect cultural heritage - which includes community customs, traditions, places, objects and works of art passed down through generations - if threatened by conflict, climate change or other forms of global instability.
More than four in five respondents (81%) agreed that safeguarding cultural heritage should be considered alongside humanitarian efforts during conflict or environmental crises, while just 3% disagreed.
The findings have been released to mark the 10th anniversary of the UK’s flagship international Cultural Protection Fund (CPF), which supports communities around the world to safeguard cultural heritage at risk.
The programme, led by the British Council in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), has recently been extended for a further three years. The extension includes an £8.95 million investment to support community-led efforts to protect cultural heritage worldwide.
Among the projects supported by CPF over the years are efforts to safeguard one of the world's oldest and most significant fossil sites, including the protection of 1.5-million-year-old hominin footprints at Ileret in Kenya. Funding has also helped revive Maqam music in Mosul, Iraq, a centuries-old musical tradition that came close to disappearing and is now being preserved for future generations.
The research, conducted by Censuswide, surveyed 2,500 people aged 16-44 across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Respondents were asked how they define cultural heritage, how they connect with it in their daily lives, and how important they believe its protection is in times of crisis.
When asked what cultural heritage means to them, more than half selected family traditions and celebrations (58%), closely followed by historic buildings and monuments (57%). Food and recipes passed down through generations (45%), and music, songs and dance (45%), were also highly selected.
The survey also explored how people engage with cultural heritage. While almost a quarter of respondents (23%) engage through social media, respondents mainly engage through in-person experiences. More than half of respondents (53%) said they connect with heritage at home with family, while around a third (34%) cited visits to museums, galleries or heritage sites.
Commenting on the findings, Stephanie Grant, Cultural Protection Fund Director at the British Council, said: “These findings show just how much cultural heritage is woven into our everyday lives - from how we engage with it digitally and in person with our friends, families, and communities. At a time of growing threats from conflict and climate change, our work at the Cultural Protection Fund highlights the vital role heritage plays in bringing people together and strengthening resilience in the face of global challenges.”
When asked which aspects of heritage should be prioritised for protection in communities facing crisis, almost half (49%) selected historic buildings and monuments. Other responses were more evenly distributed, with 35% prioritising museums and their collections, 29% local languages and oral traditions, 27% everyday objects and family heirlooms, and 27% sacred or spiritual sites.
Stephen Stenning OBE, British Council Director of Culture in Action, said: "The Cultural Protection Fund is built on the belief that supporting stability, opportunity and shared understanding in fragile regions is both the right thing to do and in our long-term interest. These findings show that people across the UK feel a deep connection to heritage in their own lives and overwhelmingly believe it deserves protection when under threat. Over the past decade, the Fund has demonstrated what can be achieved when local communities are supported to lead the protection of cultural heritage, from reviving music in Mosul to protecting ancient footprints in Kenya. We are committed to continuing that work."