Archives and children’s cultural heritage

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this explorative and collectively written paper, researchers and archivists from the research project Children’s cultural heritage — the visual voices of the archive ponder, wrestle with, confront, and dig deeper into what it means to preserve and include children’s own voices in archives. The authors acknowledge that child-produced cultural objects are historical landmarks and significant parts of national heritage. The article raises questions about where and how the ‘doing’ of what is here called children’s cultural heritage takes place, what it means to archive from children’s perspectives, and what aspects of children are saved during these preservation and archival management processes. To collect, preserve and provide access to heritage might empower and affirm individuals and subordinated groups of people who have not been seen or heard in the historical past, in the present, or in future pasts. Children, as a category, is one such subordinated group in heritage contexts. Adults therefore have a responsibility to empower children by strengthening their position towards other social groups, towards society and the heritage domain. This article provides insights into the challenges that heritage establishments face in taking children’s cultural heritage seriously.