Promoting tangible and intangible hidden cultural heritage: local communities influencing civic decision-making and international cultural policy

This paper explores international policy approaches to inclusive cultural heritage within urban centres and communities. It defines and identifies hidden cultural assets, tangible and intangible, and examines how, and why, some cultural assets are hidden. We explore the use of two complementary digital methods: digital cultural asset mapping and digital storytelling to reveal hidden heritage and engage the local citizen’s voice. The paper draws on a local city example that had ambitions to influence international reach and policy agendas; a year-long practice-based research project in Paisley, a large town on the edge of a major city conurbation in Scotland, as set within the context of wider cultural heritage policy discussion. The research reveals how hidden cultural heritage can be used to inform governmental decision-making on a national and international stage and simultaneously inform policy and practical step changes in peri-urban cultural regeneration whilst contributing significantly to sustainable development goals.