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An arts centre is to host a day-long heritage festival, which not only looks back, but also how best to showcase its towns heritage into the future.

On Saturday, February 25, The Spring Arts Centre in Havant is putting on 16 heritage-themed events, many of them free.

Among the ticketed events are two talks by historian Greg Jenner to the event, best known for his work on multi-award-winning Horrible Histories and hit BBC podcast You’re Dead to Me. As well as Greg’s two afternoon shows, The Spring is offering a day of free family workshops, multiple inspiring heritage talks and high-profile comedy.

As part of the festival activities, The Spring will welcome a diverse array of heritage experts from both Havant and further afield, with talks suitable for all ages. Award-winning author Dr Caroline Shenton will be speaking about her gripping book on the race to save the nation’s heritage during the Second World War, and a range of local historians will offer sessions on subjects from Havant’s manufacturing heritage to Emsworth’s Valerie Bacon Archive.

Historian Greg Jenner, best known for his work on multi-award-winning Horrible Histories and hit BBC podcast You’re Dead to Me, is at The Heritage Festival at The Spring Arts Centre, Havant on February 25, 2023

Younger visitors can enjoy a 1940s-themed early years’ music gig, as well as a free family drop-in collage workshop, where everyone can create a huge collage inspired by Havant’s history. In the first of his talks, Greg Jenner will be speaking about his new book for children, You are History, in which he explores the history of objects through fascinating facts and fun surprises.

The day will close with a show by improvised comedy group The Noise Next Door, exploring the best, worst and strangest things about Havant.

The festival also marks the start of The Spring’s Museum Reimagination Programme, with heritage consultants Tricolor on hand to speak to the public throughout the day, inviting them to share their thoughts on how to re-awaken the heritage collection, and to ask what the local community really want out of their very own cultural landmark.

Cheryl Pierce, chief executive of The Spring said: ‘We hope this will not only be an exciting and inspiring day for the local community, but also serve the wider purpose of furthering the reimagination of our museum and collections, offering everybody in Havant borough the opportunity to shape their very own engaging local heritage resource.’

To find out more and get tickets, go to thespring.co.uk.

Horrible Histories' Greg Jenner and improv from The Noise Next Door at The Spring Arts Centre's Heritage Festival in Havant