Case Study: Addressing Sensitive Topics Through Heritage Projects

What is this case study about?

This case study is about 'Remembering Greenheys and Len Johnson', a Steam Hubs and Pubs CIC project. It was designed to celebrate the hidden histories of Greenheys, a former Manchester estate lost to redevelopment, and Len Johnson, a boxer and activist who campaigned to overturn the colour bar.

This project demonstrates how established community organisations can use heritage projects to address and respond to sensitive topics such as racism and gentrification. Historic England's Everyday Heritage Grants funded the project.

What are the key points?

What was the project about?

The Old Abbey Taphouse is one of the last remaining buildings on the former estate and acts as the heart of the project. The venue has maintained a strong relationship with the local community both historically and in the present day, with its owners noting: "Our heritage work has been fundamental in helping residents have a voice, feel recognised and fight to save community assets such as the pub from redevelopment."

This project explored the forgotten histories tied to the demolished Greenheys Estate. What used to be a bustling working-class community on the border of Moss side Manchester was declared a 'slum' and effectively cleared throughout the 1950s and 1960s. The area is now considered to be a part of Hulme, which project leads say further signifies the erasure and displacement of its working-class residents.

The pub also reckoned with its own contentious history through this project by celebrating the work of Len Johnson. Johnson was a former boxer turned activist who successfully ended the venue's 'colour bar' in 1953. The 'colour bar' was a policy that meant Black and Asian people were stopped from entering pubs, bars, and restaurants, and where landlords refused to rent to immigrants. Johnson's victory is said to have influenced venues across the country to overturn their own colour bar policies.

This project aimed to:

• Acknowledge the difficult history of the pub to turn it into an educational opportunity
• Empower the community to take ownership of telling their own heritage
• Create opportunities for younger and older people to work together
• Host events which bring the community together to celebrate the past, present, and future
• Use project outputs to help raise the profile of the area and to give new residents and students coming to the area a sense of the local history

Who did the project work with?

Project activities were formed and inspired by the existing relationships between the community and the pub.

The Old Abbey Taphouse acted as a safe space for discussion of sensitive and personal topics such as racism and gentrification/consequences of redevelopment within affected communities. Groups made up of residents, young people, practitioners, and a historian were formed to shape the project's outputs.

Project leads made sure that the university did not take priority over the residents in planning. This allowed for the thoughtful co-creation of the following events:

• Remembering Greenheys. A GPS mapping day in partnership with the University of Manchester. Former residents of the estate were invited to retrace their pasts on guided walks of the area and record oral histories
• Drink for Len Johnson. An event celebrating Len Johnson’s legacy and discussing his impact. In partnership with Breaking Barz, local talent came together to celebrate and showcase Black history

How was the project promoted?

The project's promotion involved targeted outreach to different age groups. For older residents, local press and flyers were used, while younger audiences were engaged through social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. This approach ensured broad and inclusive participation.

What were the outcomes?

The project increased local's knowledge and understanding of local history

• Intergenerational connections took place throughout, allowing new connections to be created
• An increased sense of belonging for former residents of Greenheys estate
• Oral histories collected throughout this project will be archived and shared to ensure a legacy and allow the entire community to have access to a new wealth of information
• Increased confidence for staff through training on Len Johnson and the colour bar for the team at The Old Abbey Taphouse
• Created scope for GPS mapping work to address Dementia in diverse local communities
• Created space for honest and direct conversations among various community groups

What lessons were learned?

• Allow extra time for administrative tasks when working with external partners such as universities
• Be mindful of the mental wellbeing of your participants throughout your project. This may be hard to anticipate, but it's essential to provide the opportunity to take breaks when dealing with more sensitive and personal histories/heritage
• Knowing your community well is the key to the success of a project. Having strong relationships with participants built over years of community work created a level of trust in project organisers
• Try to incorporate an evaluation style that suits both the needs of your participants and your own

Further reading

For more information on the project, visit 'Remembering Greenheys and Len Johnson'