TheproposedDCMSWhitePaperon'OurCulture':Aresponseby

RESCUETheBritishArchaeologicalTrust
Ourthirdthemeisaboutpeopleandhowtheyengagewithculture.Howdoweensurethat
everyonecanlearnaboutandthroughculture,andgettherightencouragementandopportunities
toexperienceandparticipateinculturalactivitiesthroughouttheirlives.
RESCUETheBritishArchaeologicalTrust(www.rescuearchaeology.org.uk)
welcomestheopportunitytocontributetotheformulationoftheforthcomingWhitePaper
on'OurCulture'.Weofferthefollowingthoughtsonthethemeof'Peopleandtheir
engagementwithculture'.
Archaeologyhasanexcellentrecordinengagingwiththepublic.Avarietyofpaths
offerdiverseopportunitiestoengagewiththehistoricenvironment.Theseincludeadult
educationclasses,U3Agroups,localarchaeologicalandheritagesocieties,lotteryfunded
excavationandsurveyprojectsandopportunitiestovolunteerinmuseumsandheritage
centres.Thediversityofopportunitiesmeansthatarchaeologyisopentoawiderangeof
peoplewithdifferentaptitudes,skillsandinterests.Participationisnotlimitedtoactive
andablebodiedpeople(unlike,forexample,sportwhichattractsvastlyhigherlevelsof
fundingandinvestment),asmanymuseumsarenowrunningprojectsinvolvinggroups
suchasAlzheimer'ssufferers,peoplewithautismandmentalhealthissues,theelderly
andtheinfirmwhileProjectNightingalehasbeensuccessfulinengaginginjuredex
servicepersonnelinarchaeologicalfieldwork.Localsocietiesofferarangeofactivities
fromparticipationinfieldworktodocumentaryandarchivalresearch.Therearefew
professionalarchaeologistscurrentlyworkinginBritainwhodonotspendatleastpartof
theirtimeinteractingdirectlywiththepublicwhetherthisbethroughworkwithschools
andcolleges,withcommunitygroupsorthroughprojectsfundedbytheHeritageLottery
Fund.
Archaeologyinvolvesauniquecombinationofactivitiesthatgiveitabroadappeal
thatgoesbeyondmanyotherareasofculturalendeavour.Excavationandpostexcavation
workoffera'handson'engagementwiththepastthroughthemediumofthesiteand
materialculture.Excavationandfieldsurvey,oftenphysicallydemandingactivities,offer
notonlyintellectualexcitementbutalsopositivehealthbenefitsforallparticipants.The
cleaninganddocumentingoffinds,researchintotheircharacterandtheirsocialand
economicrolesinthepastanddocumentaryresearchencouragestheparticipationofthose
forwhommoresedentaryactivitiesareappropriatewhiletheproductionofinterpretative
texts,imagesandsimilarmaterialnotonlyengagesthoseresponsibleforproducingdigital
andprinted'content'butalsohelpstodisseminatetheresultsamongstthewiderpublic.
RESCUEcan,ifrequired,supplymoredetailsofnumeroushighlysuccessful
projectswhichbringarchaeologistsandthepublictogetherinwaysthatcontributeto
formaleducation(schoolageandbeyond),totheenjoymentofexistingsitesand
monuments(suchasConisbroughCastleinSouthYorkshireandOldWokingPalacein

Surrey),theinvestigationofthepastofspecificcommunities(MonkFryston(North
Yorkshire),HopeandCastleton(Derbyshire),Athersley(SouthYorkshire)andsoon.
Keytothecontinuationandexpansionofthemanydiverseschemescurrentlyin
operationisarobustandeffectiveprofessionalinfrastructurebaseduponHistoric
EnvironmentRecords,currentlyunderseverethreatfromlocalandnationalgovernment
spendingcuts.HERstaffprovideessentialadviceandsupportforarchaeologicaland
heritagerelatedprojectsandareoftenthelinkbetweencommercialarchaeologyunits
(whichprovidemuchofthepracticalexpertise)andthepublic.CutstoHERstaffand
savagecutstobudgetsplacethisvitalroleinjeopardy.AnincreasingnumberofHLF
fundedandothervoluntaryprojectslackprofessionalinputbecauseHERshaveeither
beenclosedbylocalauthoritiesorlackthehumanresourcestoengageeffectivelywith
localgroupsonadaytodaybasis.
Allexcavationandsurveyprojectsgeneratearchivesthatrepresentthesurviving
tracesofthearchaeologyafterinvestigation.Thelackofeffectivegovernmentsupportfor
localandregionalmuseumsmeansthattheseinstitutionsnolongerhavethecapacityto
curateandstoretheseuniqueandirreplaceablearchivesforthebenefitoffuture
generations.Inmanycasesthesamemuseumslacksufficientorsuitablytrainedand
experiencedstafftoengagewiththepublicandtoofferthekindofsupportthatisoften
neededinareassuchasconservation.Theinevitableresultisthatoutcomesarealltoo
oftenlessthantheyshouldbeandthevalueoftheprojectsissignificantlydiminishedasa
result.
RESCUElookstogovernment(bothlocalandnational)toensurethattheessential
infrastructurethatsupportstheworkofprofessionalswithamateursandvolunteersis
maintainedand(giventhescaleanddepthofthecutstoheritageservicesoverthelast
twentyyears),enhancedandupgradedtoensurethatthenumerousanddiversebenefits
ofpublicparticipationinarchaeologyarefullyrealised.