‘Our World Heritage’ exhibition opened at the historic Tron Kirk in Edinburgh on 26 July 2018.
"A new exhibition which showcases the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh, as well as Scotland’s other five World Heritage Sites, opens today at the historic Tron Kirk on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. The exhibition, housed within the atmospheric 17th century former kirk, attempts to capture the essence of the World Heritage Site in Edinburgh through the voices and opinions of local people. The story is told in a series of videos, quotes, and specially commissioned portraits from award-winning Scottish photographer Alicia Bruce. ‘Our World Heritage’ explains what makes Edinburgh’s heritage so special and internationally recognised as well as highlighting some of the issues associated with the World Heritage Site. A series of sections, with titles such as ‘City of Contrasts’, ‘Survival Stories’, and ‘High and Mighty’ set out the formal reasons for the city’s UNESCO inscription, but also challenge residents and visitors to think differently about the city and consider some uncomfortable questions. These range from whether we are doing enough to conserve the authenticity of the site, the role of the transatlantic slave trade in funding the city’s extraordinary 18th and early 19th century expansion, and the absence of women in the city’s many grand statues and monuments."
