Celebrating community heritage through talks, workshops and connection opportunities, showing how collaboration sparks learning and growth

About this event

In person at The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ

Online via Microsoft Teams (joining link provided nearer the event)

Scotland’s Community Heritage Conversations 2026: Sharing Our Strengths

Join us on Thursday 26th November for a full day of inspiring presentations, lively discussion, hands‑on workshops, and plenty of chances to connect with peers from across the country.

People are at the heart of community heritage, and the health of our cultural, built, natural, and archaeological heritage is intricately tied to the passion, dedication, expertise and energy of the people who care for it. But in the face of ever-growing pressures, how can organisations collaborate and share their skills and experiences in order to create sustainable futures for community heritage?

Scotland's Community Heritage Conversation 2026 will feature presentations and workshops that highlight how collaboration – across communities, generations, cultures, or sectors – creates fresh opportunities for learning and growth, as well as providing attendees with a chance to reflect on their own support strengths and needs.

We got some fantastic suggestions in through the call for content that went out over the summer, and we are currently putting the final touches to our agenda for the day, so only the workshop options are currently noted in the agenda. Watch this space for more details!

What to expect on the day

The programme includes a mixture of talks, panel discussions, workshops and One Minute Mayhem, a 60-second soapbox open to all where attendees have the chance to share news and updates from their own organisations and projects. These sessions will showcase community-led approaches to collaboration designed to inspire, encourage connections, and offer practical reflections and actions.

The event is being held at the Engine Shed in Stirling. For more information on the Engine Shed, including transport links and accessibility, please take a look at their website. We will have BSL signers available and additional information will be provided to attendees ahead of the event.

How to get involved

This event will once again feature digital posters, created by community heritage groups and organisations as an opportunity to showcase their projects, work and initiatives. We will be displaying posters linked to the conference theme, on a loop throughout the day on a large screen situated in the Main Hall at the Engine Shed. To find out more about this, and how to showcase your organisation or project, please visit our dedicated digital poster webpage.

If you would like to guarantee yourself a slot for One Minute Mayhem, you can pre-book this by contacting Samya from Heritage Network on samya@heritagenetwork.org.uk. Any free spaces still available on the day will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

About Scotland's Community Heritage Conversations

Scotland’s Community Heritage Conversations (SCHC) was developed to provide an engaging and approachable forum for sharing experiences and opportunities, discussing emerging policy and practice, and supporting one another to develop new and innovative solutions. The conversations are delivered through a partnership of Historic Environment Scotland, Archaeology Scotland, the Scottish Council on Archives, Culture, Heritage & Arts (CHARTS), Scottish Civic Trust, Scottish Community Tourism (SCOTO) and Heritage Network.

Sharing attendee details - privacy notice

As part of Scotland’s Community Heritage Conversations 2026, HES would like to create an optional attendee skills directory to help delegates identify people they may wish to speak to during or after the event.

If you choose to take part, we will include your name, organisation, email address, skills you are willing to share, and skills you would like to access from others. These details will be collected via optional questions at the point of booking. The directory will be shared with registered delegates before the event.

Taking part is optional. You can register for and attend the event without being included in the directory. Please do not include sensitive personal information, such as information about your health, disability, religion, political views, ethnicity, trade union membership or other special category data.

The directory must only be used by delegates for event-related networking and skills sharing, and must not be forwarded, published, added to mailing lists, or used for unrelated marketing or contact.

You can ask us to amend your details or withdraw from the directory by contacting developmentandcommunity@hes.scot by 16th November. After the directory has been shared, we may not be able to remove copies already received by delegates, but we will update or remove HES-held versions where possible.

Description supplied by the event organiser.