Embedding shared heritage: the cultural heritage rights of London’s African and Asian diaspora communities

Although heritage agencies responsible for the management of world heritage sites are being challenged to incorporate intangible heritage into the nomination, inscription and management systems, there is still very little attention paid in the UK to engaging diaspora and immigrant communities in these processes. The presence of such African and Asian communities in the UK dates back more than 500 years and they form a significant and rising proportion of London’s population. This case study describes a major initiative undertaken by the office of the mayor of London in 2003–2006 that sought to embed the cultural heritage rights of African and Asian diaspora communities into the management of the city’s heritage spaces in a way that aimed to ensure that their heritage is seen as part of the national story. This London case thus provides very valuable lessons for the management of world heritage sites in the UK and Europe.