Building on the work conducted through the Heritage Impact Accelerator in Luton, the Heritage Futures Elevator, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, will support six Luton-based heritage practitioners or organisations across two cohorts to extend their pre-existing heritage activity, widen audiences, strengthen leadership and business skills, and promote the dissemination of heritage activity regionally and nationally.

The Heritage Futures Elevator is a 6-month, needs-led, continuing professional development programme that provides a £2,500 stipend, mentoring and tailored business support to participants; along with opportunities to lead training for emerging practitioners and local educators.

Jitty Marwaha, Cultural Programmes Officer at the University of Bedfordshire, will lead on this project and said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome our first Heritage Futures Elevator cohort. With such a dynamic trio, I am looking forward to them leading the way in their own practices to form stimulating interest in the unique heritage of Luton. We would also like to extend a big thank you to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players for enabling such exciting projects to take place.”

The Heritage Futures Elevator in Luton will collaborate with Northampton's Heritage Impact Accelerator programme to join forces with Northampton’s practitioners and partner in shared events for audience engagement. It will also support local schools to consider heritage sector "futures" in terms of careers as well as deliver knowledge exchange, consultations, and focus groups, in partnership with the University of Northampton to grow the platform for culturally diverse heritage activity.

Read about our first Heritage Futures Elevator cohort

If you are interested in applying for the second Heritage Futures Elevator cohort in Spring 2024, please get in touch with us via email at culture@beds.ac.uk