The research project (Re-)Tracing History sought to develop innovative methods to include unknown, overlooked and ignored traces of the past in contemporary heritage practice. In three action-based research projects, collaborative teams of researchers, (grassroots) cultural organisations and general public investigated how oral history, dance performance and virtual dialogue could be applied to make unacknowledged traces of the past tangible, palpable, and negotiable in the public domain. This action framework summarises the project’s lessons learned and offers suggestions to those seeking to integrate unknown, overlooked and ignored traces of the past in their own work.