Heritage is inherently political, acting as a contested space where dominant narratives are challenged and alternative voices emerge. Decolonizing heritage at universities involves questioning power structures that have shaped how colonial legacies are preserved and presented. This work package poses challenging questions: How do we critically examine colonial university heritage without reproducing colonial frameworks? What new methodologies can authentically represent contentious histories? How do we navigate the tension between European institutions and perspectives from the Global South?

The challenge lies in developing decolonial approaches that go beyond surface-level representation to fundamentally reshape how knowledge is created, validated, and shared. Creative processes, such as film or conceptual art, become important tools for making these invisible power structures visible to audiences beyond academic circles and for developing new visual languages to represent the history of science.

This work package examines the diversity of colonial university collections, drawing on existing engagements with human remains, collections, archives, built heritage, and intangible heritage. We particularly highlight how creative and artist-led heritage practices play a vital role. This partnership between universities and creative industries is essential in making these difficult conversations more accessible. Creative engagement transforms abstract academic debates into relatable stories that challenge public perceptions of institutional heritage, offering new insights into the ivory tower experience that has often been hidden from outside scrutiny.

Contributors:

University of Pretoria:

• Siona O’Connell (PI)
• Bonita Bennett
• Nicola Booysens

University of Bologna

• Maria Giovanna Belcastro (PI)
• Patrizia Battilani (PI)

Utrecht University

• Gertjan Plets
• Richard Calis

Charles University

• Markéta Křížová

University of Geneva:
– Peter Bille Larsen

Designer and creative partner:

• Studio Louter