"Dragons: Music, Legends, Landscapes" will enhance the public impact of a completed AHRC project on the history of regional performance, "Records of Early English Drama North-East" (REED-NE). It will use the rich dragon lore of England's North East to consolidate and increase local interest in theatre history, music, and folklore. "Dragons" is also intended to alleviate hardships in the arts, crafts and heritage sector resulting from Covid-19. Funded by the AHRC between 2013-18, REED-NE discovered and studied sources of early music, theatre, ceremony and popular festivity in England's North East up to 1642. REED-NE has now entered its legacy phase. "Dragons" is inspired by findings which emerged during the research on the REED-NE project, such as "worm" characters in medieval plays, and stage dragons used in festive pageants of the 16th and 17th centuries. The bid capitalizes on this element of REED-NE's discoveries because legendary dragons are also very present in the local culture of England's North East - in stories, songs, plays, poems, operettas and church ceremonial. In collaboration with community stakeholders, arts & crafts specialists, and international theatre professionals, we aim to deliver a programme that is related to, but distinct from, previous work on REED-NE, for general audiences across England's North East: - A "Dragon Show", presented by regional artists, and touring England's North East (Hexham, Morpeth, Bamburgh, Ripon, Durham, Whitby) - Theatre and craft workshops - Exhibition "Radical Dragons: Fiery Beasts and the Making of the North East" at Brancepeth Castle, Co. Durham - Covid-resilient supplements: outdoor activities; elements of the exhibition and show available online All activities will be extensively evaluated (e.g. with audience and participant questionnaires, interviews, and filmed documentation) to generate quantitative evidence on impact, and establish how forms of cultural and communal activity work in a pandemic context. The project's long-term legacy will be: 1. Brancepeth Castle as a permanent, pandemic-resilient site to engage local communities and enhance the castle's touristic value and economic sustainability: with an exhibition space; a multi-purpose community atelier; and a small-scale permanent exhibition on the North East's dramatic heritage based on REED-NE research. 2. Establishment of a theatre company - "Hazelsong Theatre Company" - based in Hexham, whose mission will be to celebrate regional musical and dramatic heritage in the North East. The theatre company lead (Bates) can build on excellent regional connections and has recruited all project partners except Brancepeth Castle. 3. Quantitative and qualitative evidence on regional cultural activity in the field of intangible heritage (music, drama) and its effects in times of pandemic; a body of work of potential interest for future study of the pandemic (and its cultural and social impact) in the North East.

'Engaging with Place and Managing Space' offers a unique opportunity to use historical and social science research to enhance visitor enjoyment and appreciation of the cathedrals and great churches which comprise many of England's most important and best-loved heritage sites. CONTEXT English cathedrals now welcome over 10 million visitors each year and have a growing role in promoting community cohesion, sharing their rich spiritual, cultural, and educational resources, and stimulating economic development in urban and rural contexts through tourism. The AHRC 'Pilgrimage and England's Cathedrals, Past and Present' (PEC) project explored ways in which much greater historical understanding of the use of buildings in the past, coupled with fresh evidenced-based insights into visitor needs today, could support cathedrals in engaging wider audiences and serving communities. Key issues highlighted include finding new ways to accommodate the multiple roles of buildings; the value of creating user-friendly, inviting spaces for visitors from all backgrounds; the centrality of sensory experience; offering an open-ended welcome to all visitors; and the need for greater recognition of these factors in decisions about adapting or changing buildings to enhance visitor provision. In the final year of the project, the opportunities and challenges facing cathedrals were unexpectedly brought into urgent national focus by the publication of three major government and church sponsored reports: Cathedrals and their Communities: A Report on the Diverse Roles of Cathedrals, Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Department for Communities and Local Government, 2017); The Taylor Review: Sustainability of English Churches and Cathedrals (DCMS, 2017); Cathedrals Working Group Draft Report, 2018. The PEC research outcomes have been universally welcomed as offering essential perspectives in the current process of review and planning. Key stakeholders are now requesting help in embedding the PEC research in long-term policy-making, statutory guidance, management and training for all churches. This Follow-on project is thus driven by: - the catalyst of PEC project findings on the value of applying historical understanding of the management of space to visitor needs today - acknowledgement that current processes for assessing 'significance' (the sum of the cultural and natural heritage values of a place), will benefit greatly from PEC research perspectives, promoting understanding and strengthening project evaluation and approval - recognition that greater understanding of the ways in which buildings function will help funders and applicants to develop more soundly-based and effective projects - pressures created by the changing landscape of heritage volunteering and the need for additional information and training to help staff and volunteers engage increasingly diverse audiences OUTCOMES This initiative, requested by the key stakeholders in England's largest heritage sector, will bring about a new, transformative collaboration between Historic England, other statutory bodies, the Church of England, and those managing its 42 cathedrals and 16,200 parish churches. This project has 5 key strands of activity building on PEC research findings: SHAPING NATIONAL POLICY in partnership with Historic England, other statutory advisors, and the Church of England PILOTING FRESH APPROACHES TO VISITOR ENGAGEMENT, working with selected cathedrals and churches to enhance key spaces and offer creative new opportunities for visitor interaction PROVIDING NEW NATIONAL GUIDANCE through an online handbook and workshops, in partnership with the Church of England and Historic England SUPPORTING AND TRAINING STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS through a national volunteer strategy/programme focused on understanding, managing, and adapting spaces to enhance visitor experience and enjoyment WORKING WITH GRANT-MAKING BODIES TO STRENGTHEN SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE FOR PROJECTS