This book is an edited volume with contributions by respected authors from different disciplines, discussing the connections between cultural heritage and the future—‘heritage futures’. In 17 chapters divided into four sections, the book aims to build “capacity in futures thinking and futures literacy among researchers and practitioners throughout the heritage sector” (p. xix). The volume discusses heritage futures in similar terms to those used to debate the future of the Earth and climate change—as imperilled; indeed, one of the tragedies of climate change is the destruction of heritage. Drawing on case studies from several parts of the world, each chapter attempts to explore the relationship between cultural heritage and a very uncertain future, especially in light of increasing concerns about climate change. This book, however, does not properly engage with case studies representative of communities in ‘unstable’ regions, where cultural heritage is at a higher risk of being abused, weaponised or destroyed. If heritage is a process of negotiating what to inherit from the past for use in the present, and what to bequeath from the present to the future, what then is the future of those communities whose processes of inheritance have been truncated by civil wars, colonialism, slavery or natural disasters? One might wonder whether ‘futures thinking’ in heritage is a privileged exercise exclusive to those who live in communities with a relatively stable present—which is not much of the world.
Discussions about heritage futures often assume that there will be an episodic end to the present humanity, followed by the beginning of an entirely new humanity who will meet what has been ‘kept’ for them. Yet, there is no clear-cut line separating one human generation from the next. Across several chapters, but particularly in Chapter 3 (Sarah May), the book explores the uncertainty in whether the heritage we are racing to preserve will be seen by future generations as a gift or a burden. Across many cultures, the past is embodied in elders, and the future in children. Chapter 3 does well in suggesting that we look to children as our insight into the more uncertain, distant future. But who exists in this ‘future’? Today's children, or those yet unborn? And does the future refer to next year, the next decade or the next century? Where should plans for the ‘future’ of heritage end, and why? Is it even definable? The book engages with these questions quite satisfactorily, especially in Section 1: The future in heritage studies and heritage management, and Section 4: Heritage and future-making.
In addition to its perseveration with tangible heritage case studies (e.g. UNESCO's World Heritage List), the book attempts to cover ‘new’ bases in heritage futures, including unfinished buildings, space, nuclear waste and radioactivity (Chapters 7, 9, 10 & 12, respectively). While proclaiming that “the loss of physical heritage will likely be unavoidable” (p. 208), Erica Avrami (Chapter 13) attempts to make the case for intangible heritage in ‘heritage futures’, arguing that cultural heritage is not necessarily curtailed by the loss of tangible heritage. It follows, then, that intangible heritage, which can sustain the functioning of cultural heritage in the face of physical loss, is arguably the soul of ‘heritage futures’. It is curious, therefore, that the book has so few intangible heritage case studies—limited to two chapters (5 & 6). Moreover, there are no contributions from, or case studies on, African communities. Holtorf and Högberg acknowledge the underrepresentation of case studies from “significant parts of the world” (p. 2) and welcome critics and other scholars to contribute to this all-important ongoing conversation. Nevertheless, the book engages heritage and the future with notions of atemporality (Graves-Brown, Chapter 15) and ephemerality (DeSilvey, Chapter 14) in interesting ways that can perhaps shed light on the realities of many African communities and their approaches to heritage. I believe that futures thinking within critical heritage studies should be inclusive of other experiences, lest it fails to be different from the past—creating ‘difficult futures’. Learning about other (mostly non-Western) cultures’ prioritisation of the preservation of their intangible heritage over the tangible (see Mire Reference Mire2007; Onyemechalu & Ugwuanyi Reference Onyemechalu and Ugwuanyi2021) affords an opportunity to formulate more inclusive and sustainable plans for cultural heritage futures. Perhaps doing so may help address any worries about limited spatial and conservation resources occasioned by Avrami's ‘unending World Heritage listings’ (Chapter 13).
The book describes heritage as a ‘futuristic field’, so it is unsurprising that many of the contributions dwell more on the future and what and how we bequeath, rather than on what and how we inherit in the present. It reminds us that, although we may not be able to change the future, we can try to leave a template for its change. I worry, however, that this preoccupation with the Future might lead to ‘neglect’ of the Present. It is imperative that we balance the urge to become ‘good ancestors’ with the need to be ‘good descendants’. Furthermore, plans for the future of cultural heritage should not be cast in stone, nor locked up in vaults, but should be accessible and amenable, allowing future generations the opportunity to exert their own will and agency over their past, present and future.
This book is not necessarily about the future of heritage—as the title may suggest—but rather it is about the various ways to engage with cultural heritage in the light of ‘futures thinking’. Through its carefully selected mix of theoretical and practical case studies, it will undoubtedly become a flagship text for anyone interested in exploring the interconnections between cultural heritage and the future.
