iDiscover Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad, India, 2018 - 2020

community mapping

Heritage interpretation

digital storytelling

Opdrachtgevers

Prince Claus Fund

International Centre for Sustainable Cities, Creative Yatra

Partners

Agenda

Documenting living heritage of women and children in two traditional neighbourhoods in Ahmedabad

Since the city of Ahmedabad in India was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017 it became a growing tourist destination. Yet, the historic walled city is also a place where thousands of people live and work. With the traditional fabric under pressure, we felt the local voice was underrepresented in the management of the heritage site.This project provided an opportunity for locals to gain agency in the presentation and preservation of their city. Accepting tourism as an inevitable development, the project began by inviting locals of Ahmedabad to create a personalised guide for inquisitive travellers, highlighting and revealing that which is important to them as locals through 'neighbourhood narratives'. Documenting the most integral and essential part of the culture and heritage of Ahmedabad: the people, their stories and their unity.

“Residents shared stories of their childhood and how intangibilities, age-old traditions and generations of co-living makes old city of Ahmedabad rich and unique”

- Sameeha Sheth

The initial research for the app was conducted through one-on-one interviews and community consultation workshops with residents and business owners - with a strong focus on women and children. The low threshold of the events gave an opportunity for diverse voices to be heard and enabled a variety of personal stories to be included. Together we mapped tangible and intangible heritage of the area.

“Of the five C’s in UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention, the two last ones are the most important: community and communication. This project does exactly that.”

— Professor Neel, Ahmedabad University

Residents spoke freely and shared their views openly about things that are forgotten, deteriorating and but also shared things that are close to their hearts and things, instances and buildings that they feel proud of and are deeply associated with. Children shared places that are important to them. Markets, eateries and places that they visit; places where they play and places that they would like to show to people that come to Ahmedabad from other parts of the world. Women shared stories of community, how living in the old city is not only comfortable but has a sense of safety and belonging.

The project deepened their relationships with the city and developed an inclusive local narrative that was shared through an app, map, a community sharing event and a pop-up exhibition. This not only brought the stories back to the people, but also created an unprecedented occasion for officials, investors and the CEO of Ahmedabad World Heritage City Trust to visit the neighbourhood.