Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

International Journal of Heritage Studies

Volume

31

Issue

5

Publisher

Routledge

Publication Date

3-19-2025

Journal Article Version

Accepted Manuscript

First Page

1

Last Page

27

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

Abstract

Building upon previous work in the creative heritage sector, in this paper I analyse A Time Traveller’s Guide to Theatrical Brecon, a promenade production funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, performed on the streets of Brecon in mid Wales, UK in 2021. The performance involved local amateur actors from Brecon Little Theatre and was accompanied by a map and educational resources and workshops for local schools. It brought to life stories from Brecon’s theatre history for its local residents. Brecon Little Theatre members created and performed the promenade performance, creatively engaging with historical material to write, direct, rehearse, and present fictionalised scenes rooted in historical events. In my analysis of the project, I offer a methodology for creative heritage which intersects the fields of theatre history, public history, and amateur theatre. I propose a form of participatory history involving an academic institution, amateur performance practices, and the wider public. I suggest that through involving amateur theatre groups in the formation of community heritage, and developing meaningful accompanying resources, wider demographics within society can be engaged within creative heritage processes.

Comments

This is an Accepted Manuscript version of the following article, accepted for publication in International Journal of Heritage Studies. Gold, J. (2025). Familiar new histories: promenade theatre and local amateur actors in a creative heritage project. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2025.2476458. It is deposited under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Available for download on Saturday, September 19, 2026

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