Past ❤ Play (Leiden University) conducts innovative humanities research into contemporary experience of cultural heritage and how the concept of play can contribute to a deeper understanding of the past. The team discovered that when local communities are actively engaged with the heritage in their environment through play, a stronger connection to these places emerges.
In addition, the team researches historical play practices, for example by having participants play board games from ancients times. This brings new insight into past playing habits and what experiences were associated with them.
As a next step, the team will conduct ethnographic fieldwork in the Netherlands, Morocco and Jamaica to further map different gaming practices and approaches to heritage.