Cultural heritage through the lens of community psychology and narrative therapy: a community project on Chinese and Vietnamese diaspora in London

Abstract

ABSTRACT This reflexive article documents a project which explored the oral history of Chinese and Vietnamese communities in London through the methodology of object-based storytelling. The project was titled the Soul Relics Migration Project. Stories of migration were collected from community members, with a particular focus on aspects of wellbeing shaped or impacted by their experiences. These stories were then curated and exhibited in local community spaces. Through the medium of object-based storytelling, the project sought to highlight culturally-specific beliefs about distress and wellbeing, facilitate the re-authoring of personal and collective migration narratives, and document testimonies in a tangible form that supports community building. Methodologically, I argue that the method of narrative therapy coupled with community psychology practices could be a useful way to facilitate the creation of collective memory and heritage, as well as spur collective action and resistance in marginalised communities.