Dr Sadie Watson is leading a four-year UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship looking at maximising public benefit from archaeology carried out on UK infrastructure projects. In this blog series, she keeps us up to date with her progress…

I am delighted to welcome Harald Fredheim as my new Research Associate, who will be working with me on the first stage literature review of my UKRI Fellowship project. Harald has recently completed a PhD which focused on how archaeological organisations are working with volunteers to care for heritage places during austerity. His postgraduate doctoral degree was jointly hosted by the Council for British Archaeology and the University of York; you can read more about his work here as well as an article summarising some of the ideas from his research which was published in the Institute for Historic Building Conservation’s journal. Before joining us, Harald was formerly a Research Associate for the Heritage Futures project, which explored the potential for innovation and creative exchange across a broad range of heritage and other related fields.

Harald’s valuable experience in the interdisciplinary field of critical heritage studies will enable him to identify models used in other sectors and help us develop new approaches for evaluating public-facing archaeological work. Alongside this research, we will be reviewing existing evaluation methodologies already in use across the sector, starting those in place at MOLA and at HS2, our project partner. This critical analysis of our own methodologies and practices are crucial to developing our understanding of how we consider participation and how we communicate archaeology beyond our own sector.

Harald is also a Research Associate for Landscape Futures and the Challenge of Change, led by Professor Caitlin Desilvey at the University of Exeter, in collaboration with the National Trust and Historic England. This project aims to develop a decision support framework for vulnerable coastal landscapes and assets already in an advanced state of decline and to respond directly to the challenge that accelerated climate change poses for the natural and cultural heritage sector. The framework has three goals: to deliver consistency in interpreting relevant regulations and guidance; provide confidence in making the decision to manage for change; and capability in devolving decision making to local managers and inspectors. Both projects that Harald is working on set out to better understand the full range of public benefits derived from the historic environment and to help practitioners make the most of natural and designed changes in our surroundings. 

Having welcomed Harald to the team, we look forward to connecting with you and sharing ideas about public engagement and measuring public benefit as our work progresses.

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