Photo-Elicitation as an Inclusive Methodology for Exploring Affective Experiences in Heritage

This article explores student visitor experiences at Temple Newsam House (Leeds, UK) during the contemporary art exhibition “Outside In” (2023), drawing on the concept of affective atmosphere to explore how contemporary installations reconfigure engagement with heritage spaces. Adopting an experimental qualitative approach, the study employs drifting visits, adapted from Debord's dérive, to allow participants to follow their own instincts and sensory attractions rather than institutionally prescribed routes. A primary focus of the research is the use of photo-elicitation as an inclusive and collaborative methodology. By generating photographs during the visit and using them as prompts for reflection, participants were able to articulate sensory, bodily, and affective experiences that often elude conventional representational or discursive methods. This process surfaced previously unacknowledged dimensions of experience and foregrounded the emergent, relational nature of atmospheres as produced through interactions between bodies, objects, and space. The findings suggest that photo-elicitation facilitates a more personal and transformative engagement with heritage, allowing for the construction of a collective narrative that reflects a wide diversity of individual perspectives. Ultimately, the study underscores the potential of non-representational methodologies to foster inclusive interpretations and deeper emotional connections within historic environments.