Appreciative Inquiry is a collaborative approach to appreciating the value of the present situation in order to suggest positive directions for the future. This approach is in contrast to more conventional methods that start with a problem that needs to be solved.
We used appreciative inquiry at the beginning of the project as an icebreaker and inspiration exercise in order to uncover information about the values, practices, hopes and goals of the different individual participants. We discussed personal encounters and experiences with heritage from visiting museums and exhibitions. The prompting question was: “What was your best experience with cultural heritage and what factors led to that experience?“
The entire group was briefed orally about the task: participants were encouraged to form pairs and share what they felt were remarkable experiences of cultural heritage. After exchanging information, they were asked to write down on post-its five keywords around these experiences. The pairs were given 10 – 15 minutes to discuss and form the keywords. At the end, the post-its were placed on a wall. Similar keywords were then grouped together trying to find commonalities between the experiences and the factors that led to them. The outcomes were discussed in a plenary.
Download the how-to sheet here.
