Recycle Archaeology: Community Reuse of Archaeological Disposals

In this paper, I interview Dr Helen Wickstead, director of Recycle Archaeology about the reuse of usually discarded archaeological materials as an alternative to disposal. I explain through recent pilot projects partnered with Recycle Archaeology, how archaeological materials can be used by students, researchers, artists and the public to create new community-focused programmes, which put heritage in the hands of the public. These pilot projects engage partners in community curating, creative transformations and digital development through the recycling of de-selected finds. Expanding from the public reuse, this paper begins to unpick how partnering with organisations like Recycle Archaeology can inform how Gallery, Library, Archive, Museum (GLAM) organisations can engage their audiences and communities in new innovative ways otherwise unavailable to organisations within the cultural sector. This is one case study from a larger body of research, which interrogates the new development of hybrid digital and physical participation between communities, publics and cultural organisations. I explore how GLAM organisations can better utilize their current staff’s capabilities towards more inclusive community participation, assessing the appropriate digital tools and balance of hybridity which promotes the most sustainable programming for communities in physical and digital spaces.