The Heritage Open Days festival, a nationwide celebration of history and culture, is set to return to Norfolk later this year and will include online events for the first time.
Many events have been forced to cancel due to Covid-19, but Heritage Open Days is set to go ahead and will focus on community and local stories.
The annual festival, coordinated by The Forum in Norwich, will run from September 11 to 20 and sees venues across the county opening their doors for free.
Heritage Open Days is a great chance to explore new buildings, discover some hidden gems not normally open to the public and learn more about the historical figures who shaped our communities.
The festival will, for the first time, include online activities to accompany traditional in-person events, which will reflect social distancing guidance to keep visitors safe.
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Organisers are working with local heritage organisations, businesses and volunteers to create the programme and are calling for new venues and community groups to take part this year – from offering an online tour or activity to opening a venue during the festival.
Katie Ellis, Heritage Open Days event producer, said: “Heritage Open Days is always hugely popular and we are enormously grateful to all our partners, event organisers and volunteers who are working together to deliver an exciting festival in spite of the challenges presented by the impact of Covid-19.
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“Celebrating our local heritage is more important than ever and offering digital events for the first time will allow even more people to learn about Norfolk’s rich history, explore amazing buildings and hear fascinating stories about the places we live in and visit.”
The Norfolk Heritage Open Days programme is coordinated and promoted by The Forum Trust with support from Norwich City Council, Norwich Tourist Information Centre, Broadland District Council, Breckland Council, Thetford Town Council, Great Yarmouth Borough Council, South Norfolk Council, North Norfolk District Council, Visit North Norfolk and many local organisations and individuals.
Venues and organisers interested in taking part can register their interest by emailing hods@theforumnorwich.co.uk
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