Our Heritage Strategy

University of Sheffield Heritage Strategy 2024-2032 

Introduction

The University of Sheffield was founded in 1905, an age of imperial expansion and industrial production, as its own history reflects.  As one of the six original ‘red bricks’, the University of Sheffield embodied a strong tradition of municipal pride, developing from three local institutions: the Sheffield School of Medicine (1828), Firth College (1879), and the Sheffield Technical School (1884). The achievements of the University reflect our continued commitment ‘to know the causes of things’ (Rerum Cognoscere Causas). 

The huge social and cultural impact of our work is captured in our history, which includes pioneering the first medical use of penicillin and six Nobel Prize-winners in the fields of Medicine/Physiology and Chemistry. Collaboration has always been central to our success, from our early innovations in metallurgy and glass technology, which were vital to local industry, through to our current leading role creating industrial transformation in the South Yorkshire Investment Zone. 

The University’s heritage incorporates collections created by the institution and acquired from elsewhere, campus buildings, architectural fabric, war memorials, the public realm and public art, which the University commits to safeguard and, where possible, make accessible to all. 

Our buildings include iconic Sheffield landmarks, some of which, such as Firth Court and the Arts Tower, were designed as University buildings, and others, including St George’s Church and the Henderson’s building, which came into the estate as their original purpose changed. Many of our buildings are listed, Western Bank Library and the Arts Tower at Grade II* and others at Grade II, while others fall within conservation areas. The physical estate creates landscapes, which are a valued part of our heritage, with green spaces open to all.  

Our collections, frequently received through generous donations, comprise oil paintings, prints, artworks on paper, archives, publications, scientific instruments, medals, silverware, sporting trophies and other objects. These are held in the University Archives, the University Heritage Collections, the Turner Museum of Glass, the Alfred Denny Museum of zoological specimens, and the University Library Special Collections and Archives, which contain the personal papers of significant University figures, such as Sir Charles Firth and Sir Hans Krebs, influential political figures, including Lord David Blunkett and Arthur Scargill, and writers like Barry Hines and Rosemary Sisson, as well as the National Fairground and Circus Archive. Much of our heritage is tangible, but we also have an intangible heritage of social practices and events, such as our graduation ceremonies. 

Our heritage is an invaluable asset. This strategy sets out how we will share it and act as a responsible custodian for the benefit of our University community, our local community, and stakeholders and researchers worldwide. 

Purpose and Approach

The University’s heritage is fundamental to our vision to ‘deliver life-enhancing research, innovation and education that not only transforms the lives of our graduates, but shapes the world we live in.’ It is a unique resource for research, provides an engaging, distinctive educational experience, and inspires innovation in scholarship and through outreach. 

This strategy defines our heritage and will focus and guide our activities. It will also clearly communicate our intentions with stakeholders, collaborators and communities both internal and external to the University, and encourage their engagement.

Our history is also the history of the city of Sheffield. As a civic university, our links to the local community were present from the foundation of the University, which was created through the aspirations and financial support of the people of Sheffield. Steel manufacturers and cutlers such as Mark Firth and Frederick Mappin made substantial donations, while many others contributed pennies from their hard-earned wages. From Amy Johnson to Ade Solanke, our University has attracted pioneers, and our heritage is a significant part of the culture that draws new students and staff to Sheffield and maintains our relationship with alumni across the world.  

The campus and the people who study, research and work here have changed over time, and continue to evolve. This is reflected in the University's heritage collections, public art, buildings, and landscapes. We will recognise and safeguard the heritage that is valued by our communities and documents our past, whilst developing, reinterpreting, and reevaluating our collections and heritage for the future.   

The University will: 

• Develop a greater understanding of our heritage within our institution and beyond, to support our global reputation and demonstrate our history of discovery, innovation and social change
• Recognise the role that heritage plays in our sustainability strategy and commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals as we prepare for the challenges of the future.
• Recognise the historical context in which the University was founded and developed, acknowledging the legacies of empire, environmental damage, and social injustice.
• Make full use of our heritage as a resource for research and teaching excellence.
• Display items from the Heritage Collections across the University campus, in line with the display policy Sharing Our Heritage
• Take an innovative approach to sharing our heritage, making use of changes in digital technology to reach broader audiences in new ways, whilst recognising the strengths of in-person engagement.
• Develop our collections and our interpretation of them to represent our history, and the diverse communities that are part of it, and to support the teaching and research interests of the University.
• Play a leading role in the cultural vibrancy of South Yorkshire, continuing and further strengthening our relationships with local organisations, groups and communities.
• Cultivate our own strong relationship with the city to strengthen engagement through heritage with our shared history.
• Take a robust approach to the sustainable management of our collections, buildings and spaces, safeguarding our heritage whilst working to understand and mitigate the global and local environmental and cultural impact of our decisions.  

Activities 

Our heritage will support the University’s vision through the following activities: 

Education

• Use our heritage to provide a stimulating, unique, educational experience both as part of taught programmes and through extracurricular collaborative projects.
• Use our heritage  to provide professional, academic and personal development opportunities relating to research, critical thinking, digital information, heritage collection management, and outreach and engagement.
• Use our heritage to attract students and engage with people who might not have considered studying at university before.
• Collaborate with other educational establishments to enrich learning opportunities locally, nationally and internationally through our heritage collections.
• Raise awareness of our history, including the development of our campus and the achievements of our community, to develop a sense of belonging amongst our students.  This includes the naming of buildings, and parts of buildings, in line with our Building Naming Policy and commemorative schemes such as recognition plaques.
• Recognise the University’s place in the city, their interlinked civic histories, and the heritage that they share.

Research and Innovation

• Carry out collaborative research, across academic disciplines, using our heritage to create new knowledge. This will include research into the history of our institution to increase understanding and awareness of all aspects of our past.
• Disseminate research based on our heritage to academic and public audiences through a variety of outputs and forums.
• Continue to develop our internationally significant heritage collections to provide further material for original research.
• Improve digital open access to our heritage collections, using advances in technology to enable new research techniques.
• Develop the capacity of our professional librarians, archivists, curators, collection managers and technicians, to be partners in research.
• Curate inspirational on-campus and digital exhibitions and events based on our heritage and open to all, to increase awareness of and further use of our collections, promote cultural vibrancy, and raise the reputation of the University through greater knowledge of its history. This work will be carried out in collaboration with our communities and stakeholders, strengthening existing relationships and developing new partnerships.
• Review and reinterpret our heritage collections and their metadata to identify gaps, raise awareness of hidden narratives, and develop our awareness of the context of their creation, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders. This work should inform the development of our collections and our engagement programmes, with a particular emphasis on promoting diversity and inclusion.
• Arrange tours of our buildings to provide an opportunity for the public, including our alumni and supporters, to explore them.

One University

• Create an inspiring and appealing working and public environment through the display of our public art, heritage collections, buildings and green spaces, furthering the understanding of our history, creating a sense of place on campus, and contributing to wellbeing and the enjoyment of life in the city.
• Identify and safeguard heritage assets, including buildings and public art, of local and national significance, consulting relevant stakeholders when change or development is required.
• Embed understanding and consideration of sustainability in our decision-making processes to support the University’s Sustainability Strategy.
• Create a programme of engagement focused on our history and heritage, celebrating our achievements and examining our legacy and welcoming people into our spaces.