What’s in a word? Reflections on, challenges to, and possibilities with the ACHS

Abstract

ABSTRACT According to an email I received in December 2022, I was ‘part of the history of ACHS at one point over the last 10 years’. I am not entirely sure what that means, but it has given me a licence to write a short reflective piece on the Association of Critical Heritage Studies – its development, practice and experiences over the last decade. You could call this a ‘pub conversation’, but by thinking through each of the words that make up the name – Association; Critical; Heritage; and Studies – I reflect on the successes, challenges and opportunities that come with this institutional moniker.