About this Event
LIVING HISTORY IN ACTION: PERFORMING HERITAGE IN MUSEUMS
9 October 2026, 10am – 3.30pm
Venue: Black Country Living Museum
This one-day event will explore how working in role in museums and heritage sites can deepen visitors’ understanding of the past and create meaningful, immersive encounters.
Bringing together practitioners, researchers, teachers and young people, the event will draw in particular on Dorothy Heathcote’s contributions to role-work, and to history and heritage education.
The programme features guest speaker Tony Jackson (author of Performing Heritage), alongside presentations from BCLM’s own costumed interpreters, who will share insights into their practice and the real historical figures who inspire their work; plus live demonstrations of role-work by groups of young people from local schools.
This event is free but places are limited.
Presented by the Mantle of the Expert Network and Black Country Living Museum.
PROGRAMME
9.30am Arrival
10am Introduction: David Allen
10.15am Guest Speaker: Tony Jackson
11.00: Janine Downs & BCLM team
12.00: Lunch
13.00: Role-work presentations:
a. Living History: Cotton Mill Apprentices (with students from Tudor Grange Academy Worcester)
b. Living History: Child Needle-makers (with students from Woodrow First School)
14.15 Coffee
14.30 Panel and Q&A
15.30 Event ends
Delegates will be free to go round the museum after the event ends (closes 5pm).
The Dorothy Heathcote Living History project is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. With thanks to National Lottery players.
Event venue & nearby stays
Black Country Living Museum, Discovery Way, Dudley, United Kingdom
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