Heritage, identity and the creative arts in the South Wales Valleys

A study challenging the notion that Welsh identity is terminally fragmented, the BG REACH project found that residents of Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, a post-industrial UNESCO World Heritage Site in South Wales, equally valued their pre-industrial past and viewed deindustrialisation positively as a healing process for the landscape. Using creative arts methods, participants' works reflected broader motifs of Welshness, suggesting a more cohesive identity than previously assumed.

Marsden, R. (2024). Heritage, identity and the creative arts in the South Wales Valleys. National Identities, 26(3), 237–265. https://doi.org/10.1080/14608944.2023.2299972