Your Heritage, Your Story

Project researcher: Zulfiya Hamzaki, Postgraduate researcher, University of York

Project partner: Council for British Archaeology (CBA)

A master’s research project, funded by XR Stories, offers new perspectives around the meaning of archaeology and heritage from people who have immigrated to the UK.

Led by Zulfiya Hamzaki, a documentary filmmaker and postgraduate researcher at the University of York, Your Heritage, Your Story presents new interpretations of heritage from people building a sense of place and belonging in a new country. 

As part of the project, Zulfiya worked with research participants to capture everyday experiences and co-create personal stories through an interactive documentary.

With archaeology and heritage historically dominated by white, middle-class perspectives, the project will inform the CBA’s strategy to improve public engagement and promote inclusive participation in archaeology.

Your Heritage, Your Story featured at the 2023 Festival of Ideas as part of a panel discussion to explore how inclusive storytelling can be a critical tool to highlight underrepresented voices and shift dominant narratives. 

Watch the interactive documentary on GitHub.

Zulfiya’s academic supervisors for this project were Dr Marta Herrero and Dr Jon Hook at the University of York.

Categories: Research