There is always a danger that the humanities are overlooked in favour of the social sciences or ‘hard’ sciences in research-policy engagement, when the former have an important role to play. The session will provide case studies and a facilitated discussion to better understand the potential implications and challenges for policymakers of engaging with humanities researchers. The London Strategy and Policy Network and the London Research and Policy Partnership invite you to join a session to explore the contributions that humanities research can make to policy by bringing together humanities researchers and policymakers from across the capital and beyond. Welcome and introduction (1:00 – 1:10pm) Chaired by: Professor Ben Rogers, Professor of Practice, University of London & Bloomberg Fellow to LSE Cities Overview: How can humanists and policymakers work together? Benefits and opportunities of humanities research and policy engagement (1:10 – 1:20pm) Presented by: Jo Fox, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research & Engagement) & Dean, School of Advanced Study, University of London. Case study 1: Lessons from ‘The Pandemic and Beyond: the Arts and Humanities Contribution to Covid Research and Recovery (1:20 – 1:30pm) Presented by: Pascale Aebischer, Professor of Shakespeare and Early Modern Performance Studies, University of Exeter and PI of The Pandemic and Beyond: the Arts and Humanities Contribution to Covid Research and Recovery, University of Exeter. Case study 2: Place-making, diversity and co-production: making visible the layers of London (1:30 – 1:40pm) Presented by: Justin Colston, Senior Lecturer at Institute of Historical Research, University of London. Q & A / Discussion (1:40 - 1:55pm) Closing remarks (1:55 - 2pm) ABOUT LRaPP: London Research and Policy Partnership (LRaPP) is a new partnership aimed at promoting greater synergy between London government and the academic research community. The Partnership is evolving among movements bringing universities and local communities, cities and regions closer together - the ‘civic universities agenda’. It encourages universities to use their expertise and organisational resources to address pressing public policy challenges. There are many examples of London's academics and public sector working together. Yet, most of these relationships develop in an ad hoc way. LRaPP takes a systematic approach through proactive and sustained engagement between the university and government sectors. London Strategy and Policy Network This network brings together people working in policy & strategy working in local government across London to learn new insights on cross-cutting issues and new methods in how to develop insight, policy, strategy & change. This helps them support their organisations make sense of how to tackle issues which cut across various services and that require a whole system approach across local places to tackle.

1. Place-making,
diversity and co-
production: making
visible the Layers of
London
Dr Justin Colson
justin.colson@sas.ac.uk

2. HISTORY, POLICY, PLACE
Ambition, Aspire, Achieve workshop, Newham (photo: Layers of London
Team)

3. LAYERS OF LONDON
Aims:
 Uncover, record, share multiple ‘histories’ of
London
 Digitise historic maps and data
 Preserve and share heritage as a crowd-
sourced record of urban change
 Foster dialogue between London’s past,
present and future
Funded 2017-2020 – now maintained by IHR

5. CO-PRODUCTION
 Reaching beyond traditional local historians
 Engaging Underrepresented Groups to help
them make their histories visible
 Infrastructure for community memory
 Facilitating partner projects to tell their
stories
Stag Lane Afghan Community Oral History Project
(Paiwand / Layers of London Team)
Afghan Association

6. PARTICIPATION, PUBLIC REALM &
PLACE MAKING
Camberwell Chalk Map, 2019
Facilitated for Layers of London by kimbalbumstead.com
 Place-making – more than material – cultural,
digital and virtual
 Place making through heritage activities and
heritage mapping opens up connections
between communities
 Recording and amplifying diverse voices
literally puts them on the map
 Catalysing community heritage through
building sustainable partnerships
 Delivering with policy-makers and place-
makers

7. TAKE AWAY …
Layers of London ‘Public History Now’ Workshop (Layers of London Team)
 History as participatory placemaking
spanning the digital and the physical
 Embed, empower and co-create with local
communities, rather than imposing solutions

8. Senate House, Malet Street,
London WC1E 7HU