Connections as acts of care celebrated at UNESCO RIELA Spring School

Almost 30 people from countries across the world attended a workshop to celebrate the power of storytelling and share the outcomes of the My Story, Our Future project as part of a three-day in-person exchange event organised and hosted by UNESCO RIELA.

The room was full of curiosity, thoughtfulness and connection as 26 attendees swapped stories and shared insights. The importance of food as shared cultural heritage that transcends language featured heavily, as did the desire to keep language and traditions alive through festivals and conversation. The warmth in the room was palpable, with attendees saying, ‘I feel goosebumps’, ‘I am tingly in my heart’ and ‘I’m really glad I came!’

The My Story, Our Future project was launched in September 2025 as part of a collaboration between the University of Glasgow and the Our Heritage, Our Future programme. Those participating in the project attend fortnightly workshops, visiting interesting places around Glasgow to learn about the city’s histories, developing skills related to heritage research and sharing stories about how we relate to place, to our futures and to one another.

At the UNESCO RIELA Spring School workshop, members of the My Story, Our Future group joined together with delegates and used postcards to explore how storytelling can encourage intergenerational caring, connection and the sharing of knowledge in the context of (forced) migration and restorative integration.

Helena Fox, Our Heritage, Our Future Project Officer said, “The My Story, Our Future group has brought people with experiences of migration, living in or near Glasgow, together and created links between storytelling and heritage to support them to imagine secure futures.

“The strong collaboration between Keep Scotland Beautiful, The University of Glasgow and ESOL Scotland has enabled us to form a joyful, cross-cultural group that has shared stories, food and ideas. Together, we have visited heritage spaces, learnt new skills and, with the help of Glasgow Film School, made a short film celebrating each others’ stories. It was brilliant to facilitate a workshop at UNESCO RIELA alongside group members and see firsthand their enthusiasm and confidence.” 

Bria Trosclair, University of Glasgow PhD researcher, said, “The My Story, Our Future project has exemplified what truly collaborative research, rooted in joy, hope, and mutual learning, can accomplish. In partnership, we have investigated what heritage activation means for our own personal stories and experiences of Glasgow. And through our shared learning, we have opened up what heritage is, what it can do, and what becomes possible when we centre narratives that may not be represented in wider discourses. This shared learning would not have been possible without the imaginations, ideas, and willingness to try something new that everyone from the three organisations have brought to this project.”

My Story, Our Future group member, Edith, said about the workshop, ‘It was a very new experience for me. I didn’t know I could speak confidently before the many people who were there. Thank you to Bria, Helena and John for your support.”

John Weeks, Development Worker at ESOL Scotland, said, ‘Seeing the MSOF participants facilitating the Spring School workshop has been one of many positive outcomes of the programme. It has been a fantastic opportunity for participants to develop a whole range of skills, learn about Glasgow’s rich history, and respond to this in a meaningful way. Being able to support learners during the project has been a joy, and I am very grateful to Bria, Helena, and the rest of the Keep Scotland Beautiful heritage project team for the collaboration and support. The UNESCO REILA Spring School event gives an important opportunity for migrant voices to be heard, and for individuals, organisations, and communities to strengthen their connections and build on the collective work that we do to support and empower people displaced by conflict and persecution.’

Our Heritage, Our Future is made possible with funding from Historic Environment Scotland and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with thanks to National Lottery players.  

Keep Scotland Beautiful supports the ambitions of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the My Story, Our Future project supports outcomes across SDG 4 Quality Education; SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities; and SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.