Making space for communities at RISE sites

In this session, we explored the dynamics of heritage work with communities. Our guest speaker Margaret Salazar Porzio, Executive Director of Oatlands in Virginia, considered what is owed to those who carry the living memory of a site’s history? Who counts as ‘community’, and what does meaningful use of space look like when the relationship is not one of consultation but of ongoing connection?

The discussion also tackled the practical realities of sustaining these relationships across generations, staff changes, and shifting institutional priorities without exhausting or disrespecting the communities involved. Key themes included defining and facilitating community groups, and building frameworks that outlast capacity constraints.