Secure the Future of the Past!

Future of the Past, a youth-focused heritage initiative is underway across Lincolnshire. Led by music charity SoundLincs, the project offers a creative approach to local history.

Building on the success of a pilot program conducted between 2020 and 2022, The Future of the Past

Project is inspiring a new generation to engage with Lincolnshire’s rich cultural history. Made possible

by funding from The National Heritage Lottery Fund, with additional support from the South and East

Lindsey Partnership, West Lindsey District Council, and South Kesteven District Council, this project

connects young people aged 11-25 with the heritage sector in innovative and meaningful ways.

Spearheaded by SoundLincs, The Future of the Past Project spans six significant heritage sites

across Lincolnshire: Spalding Gentleman’s Society, Gainsborough Heritage Centre, Baldock’s Mill in

Bourne, Fydell House in Boston, The Joseph Banks Centre in Horncastle, and Sleaford Museum.

Additionally, it includes outreach to the Boston Lithuanian Community Group, fostering connections

with Lincolnshire’s diverse Eastern European communities.

Participants, guided by Cultural Facilitators, are collaborating with heritage volunteers to create

engaging, youth-focused outputs. These projects aim to attract younger and more diverse

audiences to local heritage venues while giving participants hands-on opportunities to develop

valuable skills. From animation and plays to fashion shows and documentaries, the youth-led

activities offer fresh and dynamic ways to explore and celebrate Lincolnshire’s history.

In the words of Nicola Grayson, Project and Development Manager at SoundLincs: “Through this

project, we are supporting venues to become more sustainable, diverse, and creative. Heritage

volunteers will gain new skills, develop new networks, and learn how to reach new audiences. We

hope that the young creatives who get involved will feel at home in Lincolnshire's heritage and its

venues and will seek to become volunteers of the future, securing the Future of the Past!”

The project doesn’t just focus on preserving history—it also aims to ensure the sustainability and

relevance of heritage sites by creating stronger ties between venues and their communities.

Collaborating with partners like Transported Arts, Lincolnshire County Council, Paradigm Arts,

Cultural Solutions, Heritage Lincolnshire, and Taylor Made Arts, The Future of the Past Project

combines creativity, community, and cultural preservation to pave the way forward.

To find out more about SoundLincs and the Future of the Past Project, head to www.soundlincs.org.