People + Heritage was a community heritage and cultural programme developed and delivered by Images&Co for the North London community organisation 2NQ to mark the 150th anniversary of Finsbury Park. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Haringey Council, the programme explored the social history, communities and lived experiences connected to one of London’s most significant public parks through a series of participatory projects, exhibitions, talks and learning activities.

The programme was co-designed with a community board moderated by Kasper de Graaf, ensuring local residents, community groups and participants helped shape both the content and the delivery of the project. Its five core strands included heritage talks, a major exhibition, an adventure learning programme with local schools, safe-space art classes for vulnerable adults and a significant digital innovation platform which widened access and participation and created resources for future projects.

When the Covid-19 pandemic interrupted the programme, the project rapidly adapted through new forms of online delivery, remote collaboration and digital participation. These unexpected innovations expanded the reach of the programme well beyond its original audience, creating new models for community engagement and hybrid cultural activity during lockdown conditions. The project demonstrated how heritage programmes could remain socially connected and accessible during periods of disruption, while continuing to foreground local voices, intergenerational storytelling and inclusive participation.