About the Heritage Hub

The University of Hertfordshire’s Heritage Hub was established in 2010. It sits under the UH Research Theme of Heritage, Cultures and Communities.

The Heritage Hub provides an organised, unified, outward-facing identity for UH heritage engagement activities with community groups, heritage institutions and museums, local authorities and businesses. It is open to all members of staff across all Schools at the University working in the field of heritage and with outside heritage partners, and all students, especially those taking the Doctorate of Heritage (DHeritage). The Hub’s activities are all participatory and involve community co-production research in heritage.

We are part of the Impact Accelerator Account awarded by UKRI (2022-26) to accelerate the impact of the University’s world-leading research.

Who we are: People

Herts Camera Action team at 7 July event

UH Heritage Hub is led by Professor Katrina Navickas with a steering committee of academics from across the University.

It is also the umbrella organisation for the Oral History Team (OHT), currently led by Senior Research Fellow, Andrew Green. It is composed of UH staff, undergraduate and graduate students, and local community members from the region. It also partners with Heritage for Business, led by Professor Jonathan Morris, which provides consultancy services to corporate clients.

We also provide a base for professionals taking the DHeritage programme, led by Professor Grace Lees-Maffei

The new initiative of the Heritage Hub in 2023 is the Film Heritage strand, to bring together research and activities relating to the long-established history of the film industry in Hertfordshire.

The University of Hertfordshire has been awarded over £1.7m from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to accelerate the impact of the University’s world-leading research.

Collectively known as Impact Acceleration Accounts (IAAs), the block funding by UKRI to the University of Hertfordshire is made available via two research councils, the Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC), respectively.

The Heritage Hub facilitates the Community Co-Production in Heritage strand of this scheme, providing grant opportunities for researchers to work with heritage organisations and external partners.

In 2014-19, the Heritage Hub hosted the £1.25M Everyday Lives in War Centre (ELIWC) AHRC funded Co-ordinating Centre for Community Research and Engagement to Commemorate the Centenary of the First World War.

Read about our projects and funding opportunities

DHeritage 10th Anniversary symposium, 23 October 2024

On 23 October 2024, Professor Grace Lees-Maffei held the 10th Anniversary symposium for the DHeritage programme. Highlights included:

Dr Stephen Partridge, Dean of the School of Creative Arts, introduces the day.

Professor Katrina Navickas discusses the Heritage Hub

Dr Sue Davies explains her research into heritage KPIs

Panel of speakers at the symposium

Professor Jonathan Morris introduces his new project on the heritage of Ethiopian coffee.

Impact Accelerator Account showcase 4 June 2024

On 4 June 2024, Heritage Hub members presented some of their Impact Accelerator Account funded projects at a showcase at the University. Some examples below. For more information, see the Project Showcase page.