Our Shared Cultural Heritage

The programme is delivered in Manchester and Glasgow by a consortium, led by British Council, in partnership with a large number of heritage and youth sector organisations. Our UK partners are:

•  UK Youth: UK Youth is the UK's leading youth charity. They support a network of youth clubs comprising 4 million young people. They will bring expertise in engaging young people and youth leaders in new initiatives and support the development of a quality framework for the project.
• Manchester Museums and Galleries Group: comprising Manchester Museum, The Whitworth, Manchester Art Gallery and The Gallery of Costume, and the secretariat of Museums Development North West. Our heritage partners across Manchester will bring vast South Asian collections and a strategic commitment to engaging young people in heritage in new ways.
• Culture and Sport Glasgow: comprising Glasgow Life and Glasgow Museums. Our heritage, youth, arts and sports partners across Glasgow will support project delivery through vast South Asian collections. They also hold a strong commitment to building new models of youth engagement with heritage.

• CCD Bangladesh: CCD Bangladesh, is a communications and art development agency with strong youth networks. 
• Department of Visual Studies, University of Karachi, Pakistan: The Department of Visual Studies has a reputation for excellence in teaching, with many graduates going on to work in the culture sector. The department is part of the University of Karachi. Founded in 1951, it has 41,000 students making it one of Pakistan’s largest universities.
• Faiz Foundation Trust, Lahore, Pakistan: The Faiz Foundation Trust is dedicated to the promotion of the arts, literature and culture of Pakistan. Established in 2009, it has a history of engaging young people in all forms of cultural experiences. 
• Indian Music Experience Museum, Bengaluru, India: The IME is India’s first interactive music museum. It is dedicated to increasing the understanding of Indian music, from the traditional to the contemporary. 
• Museum of Art & Photography, Bengaluru, India: The Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) is south India’s first major private art museum and has one of the largest collections of Indian art in India. MAP’s mission is to take art and culture to the heart of the community, reaching a diverse audience.
• Rereeti, Bengaluru, India: ReReeti Foundation is a not-for-profit heritage consultancy it works with museums, cultural organisations, heritage sites and schools in India in skill development, audience and community engagement and educational initiatives. 
• State Bank Museum, Karachi, Pakistan: The State Bank Museum’s main objectives are to preserve its building, and to develop its collections of coins, currency, stamps, archives, history of the state bank and art – creating an accessible image of the State Bank. They are providing an opportunity for young people to learn about Pakistan’s history through the evolving role of its currency.
• The Colony, Pakistan: The Colony is a multidisciplinary art centre based in Lahore. The Colony’s core principle is a deep appreciation of the arts, irrespective of genre or language. Its vision is to encourage creativity and imagination whilst understanding tradition. It is run by a young team and combines youth engagement with nurturing talent.
• Uronto, Rajshahi, Bangladesh: Uronto is an artist run collective with a focus on experimental and socially engaged practice. It creates a platform for creative practitioners to work with local and global communities.
• Varendra Research Museum, Rajshahi, Bangladesh: Varendra Research Museum, is considered the oldest museum in Bangladesh. Its collection includes Sanskrit scripts, Buddhist and Hindu sculptures and houses a gallery displaying the indigenous and tribal culture of Rajshahi region – combining to make it a popular visitor attraction.
• Walled City of Lahore, Pakistan: The Walled City of Lahore Authority is an ambitious semi-governmental heritage organisation with a lively audience engagement programme. It aims to restore the heritage of the Walled City, promote its cultural activity and develop its local and international audience.

• At the very core of the project is the understanding that our cultural heritage is shared – that histories, traditions and expressions of people are connected in many ways through past and current shared experiences
• The project’s aim is not to decide on what is right or wrong but to give space to explore different experiences, nuance and connections. We want voices that are often not given space to be shared and explored
• We have an open definition of heritage and use it to broadly describe the ways people live and express themselves that have been passed on or influenced by previous generations
• Cultural heritage can include intangible heritage (things that you can’t touch, such as languages, traditions, names, recipes, stories), and tangible heritage (physical things you can touch, such as objects, books, photographs and buildings

Find out more about the programme on its dedicated website: https://oursharedculturalheritage.org/

To keep track of programme updates in Glasgow, follow: https://twitter.com/OSCH_Glasgow and Kelvingrove Museum's Instagram 

To keep track of project updates in Manchester, follow:https://twitter.com/OSCH_Mcr

You can also follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/osch.youngpeople and read important commentary from young people involved in Our Shared Cultural Heritage on our blog https://sharedculturalheritage.wordpress.com/ 

• Paid writing, acting, music and design roles for 18-25 year olds on our Scottish South Asian Stories project 
• Apply for a Heritage Grant to engage young people with heritage in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh