Colin Sterling

I am an AHRC Early Career Leadership Fellow at UCL Institute of Archaeology, where I work on issues related to heritage, museums, cultural memory and the Anthropocene.

My research circles around two distinct though overlapping themes: developing an expanded view of what heritage is, and pushing forwards critical-creative approaches to heritage practice. In relation to the first I am currently co-writing a book with Rodney Harrison on heritage in more-than-human worlds. This aims to rethink many of the foundational concepts of the field, including care, inheritance, endangerment and stewardship – all concepts that have been called into question by the Anthropocene and related posthumanist theories. I have recently co-edited a volume with Open Humanities Press on this topic.

My current fellowship explores critical-creative approaches to the design of ‘experiences’ within and beyond the heritage sector. Working closely with project partners, this research responds to the rapid growth of immersive, participatory and co-curated experiences across the field of heritage interpretation in recent years.

I completed my PhD at UCL in 2015. This research explored the interrelationship of heritage and photography over a broad time period (1866-present), but tightly focused on the ‘photographic life’ of two major heritage sites: Angkor in Cambodia and the town of Famagusta, Cyprus. I continue to pursue research around heritage and photography, with my latest work in this area – a photo-essay on architectural wraps – recently published in the Journal of Contemporary Archaeology.

With all of this work I remain committed to tracking and developing alternative genealogies, practices and trajectories of critical heritage. This rapidly expanding field resists easy categorisation. Accordingly, my research has been located across archives, museums, exhibitions, film studies, memory studies, history, architecture, design and photography. Prior to taking up my current position I was a Project Curator at the Royal Institute of British Architects and a Research Associate with the heritage consultancy Barker Langham. Across these roles I have helped to design and develop curatorial, interpretive and audience focused research projects nationally and internationally.