Scotland's Community Heritage Conversations 2026: Sharing Our Strengths

About this event

In person at The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ

Online via Microsoft Teams (joining link provided nearer the event)

Scotland’s Community Heritage Conversations 2026: Sharing Our Strengths

Join us on Thursday 26th November for a full day of inspiring presentations, lively discussion, hands‑on workshops, and plenty of chances to connect with peers from across the country.

People are at the heart of community heritage, and the health of our cultural, built, natural, and archaeological heritage is intricately tied to the passion, dedication, expertise and energy of the people who care for it. But in the face of ever-growing pressures, how can organisations collaborate and share their skills and experiences in order to create sustainable futures for community heritage?

Scotland's Community Heritage Conversation 2026 will feature presentations and workshops that highlight how collaboration – across communities, generations, cultures, or sectors – creates fresh opportunities for learning and growth, as well as providing attendees with a chance to reflect on their own support strengths and needs.

What to expect on the day

The programme includes a mixture of talks, panel discussions, workshops and One Minute Mayhem, a 60-second soapbox open to all where attendees have the chance to share news and updates from their own organisations and projects. These sessions will showcase community-led approaches to collaboration designed to inspire, encourage connections, and offer practical reflections and actions.

The event is being held at the Engine Shed in Stirling. For more information on the Engine Shed, including transport links and accessibility, please take a look at their website. We will have BSL signers available and additional information will be provided to attendees ahead of the event.

How to get involved

This event will once again feature digital posters, created by community heritage groups and organisations as an opportunity to showcase their projects, work and initiatives. We will be displaying posters linked to the conference theme, on a loop throughout the day on a large screen situated in the Main Hall at the Engine Shed. To find out more about this, and how to showcase your organisation or project, please visit our dedicated digital poster webpage.

If you would like to guarantee yourself a slot for One Minute Mayhem, you can pre-book this by contacting Samya from Heritage Network on [email protected]. Any free spaces still available on the day will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

About Scotland's Community Heritage Conversations

Scotland’s Community Heritage Conversations (SCHC) was developed to provide an engaging and approachable forum for sharing experiences and opportunities, discussing emerging policy and practice, and supporting one another to develop new and innovative solutions. The conversations are delivered through a partnership of Historic Environment Scotland, Archaeology Scotland, the Scottish Council on Archives, Culture, Heritage & Arts (CHARTS), Scottish Civic Trust, Scottish Community Tourism (SCOTO) and Heritage Network.

Sharing attendee details - privacy notice

As part of Scotland’s Community Heritage Conversations 2026, HES would like to create an optional attendee skills directory to help delegates identify people they may wish to speak to during or after the event.

If you choose to take part, we will include your name, organisation, email address, skills you are willing to share, and skills you would like to access from others. These details will be collected via optional questions at the point of booking. The directory will be shared with registered delegates before the event.

Taking part is optional. You can register for and attend the event without being included in the directory. Please do not include sensitive personal information, such as information about your health, disability, religion, political views, ethnicity, trade union membership or other special category data.

The directory must only be used by delegates for event-related networking and skills sharing, and must not be forwarded, published, added to mailing lists, or used for unrelated marketing or contact.

You can ask us to amend your details or withdraw from the directory by contacting [email protected] by 16th November. After the directory has been shared, we may not be able to remove copies already received by delegates, but we will update or remove HES-held versions where possible.

Info: If you are joining us on Teams, the session will be open from 9.45 am. Please log on by 9.55 am at the latest.

Info: Hosted by Historic Environment Scotland. Ever wondered what happens after you submit a grant application? In spring 2027, HES will launch a new fully funded grant scheme, offering grants for 100% of project costs up to £10,000. Join this interactive workshop to learn how we will assess your application, what makes a strong submission, and where applications can fall short. Most importantly, you'll get practical tips to help improve your chances of success.

Info: Hosted by Scottish Community Alliance. Join Jill Keegan, Programme and Partnerships Manager at the Scottish Community Alliance, for an interactive workshop on the Community Learning Exchange fund. The workshop will give an overview of the fund, how it benefits community groups and organisations to build networks of peer support across our diverse sector. You will also be given an overview of the work of the Scottish Community Alliance, particularly around the ways of being linked into the wider ecosystem of support across Scotland.

Info: Hosted by Stirling City Heritage Trust. Learn how to create your own Reminiscence Box with Stirling City Heritage Trust. Reminiscence Therapy involves discussing events and experiences from the past, and aims to evoke memories, stimulate mental activity, and improve a person's wellbeing. These were designed through a partnership with William Simpson Care Home and Forth Valley Welcome. The boxes were developed as a meaningful activity for users with Dementia or Alzheimer’s but have also been enjoyed by a variety of groups and organisations, from local history groups to Girl Guides.

Info: Hosted by Historic Environment Scotland. Learn how to identify and map your transferable skills through individual reflection and group learning. Explore key strengths, recognise skills you would like to develop, and gain greater confidence in articulating the value of your experience.

Info: Facilitated peer-to-peer discussion designed to connect you with others facing similar opportunities and challenges. In small groups, you'll share experiences, exchange practical ideas, and explore topics shaped by participants' skills, interests, and real-world community needs.

Info: A quickfire one-minute open mic session: your opportunity to share your projects, initiatives, achievements or even just your views. Sign up in advance or come on down on the day!

Info: Hosted by Historic Environment Scotland. Learn how to identify and map your transferable skills through individual reflection and group learning. Explore key strengths, recognise skills you would like to develop, and gain greater confidence in articulating the value of your experience.

Info: Elodie and Iain have both worked closely with members of the community to further their research.
While researching different tartans, Elodie realised she could only fill in gaps in the archive by learning about the items the materials became, which she did with the help of almost 30 women over the course of three years.
Iain’s work as Director of the Scottish Stonemasons’ Marks Project began as a personal interest and quickly grew into a nationwide project, with hundreds of volunteers helping to find and record marks at sites across Scotland.
In this facilitated conversation, you will hear more about their work and how they drew on community knowledge and enthusiasm to achieve greater impact.
There will also be an opportunity to ask questions during the session.

Info: Facilitated peer-to-peer discussion designed to connect you with others facing similar opportunities and challenges. In small groups, you'll share experiences, exchange practical ideas, and explore topics shaped by participants' skills, interests, and real-world community needs.

Info: Hosted by Keep Scotland Beautiful. Keep Scotland Beautiful collaborated with the National Maritime Museum on a Community Heritage Climate Action Plan to help communities learn about the impact climate change is having on heritage. Learn more about how this partnership worked and how you can explore the potential impacts of climate change in your area with this practical workshop.

Info: Hosted by Historic Environment Scotland. Ever wondered what happens after you submit a grant application? In spring 2027, HES will launch a new fully funded grant scheme, offering grants for 100% of project costs up to £10,000. Join this interactive workshop to learn how we will assess your application, what makes a strong submission, and where applications can fall short. Most importantly, you'll get practical tips to help improve your chances of success.

Event venue & nearby stays

The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, United Kingdom

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