Past for the Present at Dulwich Picture Gallery
2023
Exploring how old paintings can connect with contemporary audiences through community-led research.
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Project resources
The Past for the Present report
Findings poster by Ada Jusic
Findings songs by Calum Perrin and Rachel Waite
We partnered with Dulwich Picture Gallery (DPG) to deliver Past for the Present, a pioneering Community Action Research project funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. The aim: to explore how the Gallery’s collection of Old Masters could be interpreted in ways that resonate with the lives of diverse, contemporary audiences. Together, we recruited and trained nine Community Researchers (CRs) who led the research, uncovering powerful insights into what helps people feel a sense of belonging and ownership in cultural spaces.
Our Approach
We introduced the team to Participatory Action Research (PAR) through a six-day in-person training programme. Building on their local knowledge and networks, the Community Researchers planned and carried out fieldwork across Lambeth, Lewisham, and Southwark, engaging 229 people through 22 community sessions in a wide range of venues — from schools and health centres to libraries, cafés, and festivals.
Through a collaborative analysis workshop, the CRs worked with us and Gallery staff to interpret their findings and co-develop a set of recommendations on how DPG can make its collections and stories more relevant and inclusive.
Key Findings
The Community Researchers identified clear priorities for the Gallery:
Welcome and belonging: Actively help visitors feel at ease and represented in the space.
Reframing narratives: Address missing stories and consider how the building, artworks, and histories are presented.
Local connection: Reflect South London’s diverse communities through programming and partnerships.
Contemporary relevance: Engage with social, political, and environmental themes that matter today.
Learning and discovery: Offer playful, creative ways for audiences to connect with the collection.
These insights now shape the Gallery’s work, from family storytelling sessions and LGBTQI-themed tours to the Past for the Present exhibition, featuring participatory artworks that invite visitor contributions.
Outputs
The team brought the findings and process to life through creative outputs that made the research accessible, memorable, and deeply engaging including:
An accessible community research report
A beautiful and detailed findings poster illustrated by Ada Jusic that has been printed at a large scale and continues to be shared as part of DPG’s outreach activities.
Three “findings songs” — Let Me In, Show Me, Me, and Don’t Be Afraid of the Difficult — co-created with Calum Perrin and Rachel Waite
A magical celebration event at DPG where findings were shared through song and visual storytelling
Impacts and learnings
Past for the Present demonstrates how community-led research can reshape cultural institutions from the inside out - giving voice to local people, reframing art collections, and inspiring new creative programming that reflects South London’s diversity and energy.
“By no means was this easy for me, but it was a very enriching experience and I’m so happy I did it. Research for me usually means wedding myself to google for a few hours, but instead I was out talking to people, hearing about their experiences, and sharing my own.”
Community Researcher
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