Maggie Tohill- Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service- West Midlands Regional Advisor
Much of my year has been focussed on managing externally funded archive cataloguing projects which has meant that oral history work has been quieter for me.
We haven’t received any new oral history collections on deposit this year, but as part of our general collections work, we are now identifying where archive collections amongst our holdings may include oral history/sound recordings, so that they can be noted in our digital asset register for future action. This is linked to work on preservation of digital collections and migration of analogue formats. As part of that workstream colleagues are exploring how we can make sound recordings available via our online catalogue using a link to Preservica, our digital preservation software. It’s early days as yet, but initial tests are promising.
We continue to undertake sensitivity reviews of older oral history recordings on a case-by-case basis for customers wishing to use our oral history collections. This might be a single interview for a focussed piece of research or may involve 20-30 interviews for a large-scale research project. With the latter in mind I have begun to train up other staff on the team to undertake sensitivity reviews to spread the load.
Our outreach and learning team have been working with the people behind ‘Know Your Place Worcester’, a digital heritage mapping resource which enables you to explore the area online through historic maps, photographs and linked information. Know Your Place Worcester at present is based on material from the Worcester City Historic Environment Record, a database of historic and archaeological sites, buildings and monuments within the city. The project may expand to other areas of the county and our outreach team are also looking at whether oral history soundbites from some of our collections might be included. This is therefore another area where I have been looking at sensitivity reviews as well as giving initial guidance about summarising and transcribing work should it go ahead. The project planning is at an early stage.
Julia Letts- West Midlands Regional Advisor
The projects listed below are ones that I’ve had some involvement with during 2024.
Public Art Project – Worcester City Council and Museum of Royal Worcester As part of a wider public art project, I’ve helped create a website to enable access to the Workers’ Story, a collection of 35 oral history interviews recorded by me in 2007, and the production of The Porcelain Podcasts , 8 episodes on Royal Worcester workers, researched and narrated by students at Nunnery Wood High School.
Tales of Tools and Trades – Gordon Russell Design Museum and The Broadway Museum & Art Gallery A project funded by AIM (Association of Independent Museums). I trained local volunteers to record the stories of local crafts and trades people for Broadway’s two museums. I was also commissioned to record 8 oral histories of workers at the Gordon Russell furniture factory. Gordon Russell Design Museum
Making Mischief and Making More Mischief – London College of Fashion, UAL & Compton Verney, Warwickshire An NHLF project managed by the London College of Fashion. I trained and supported volunteers who collected around 20 oral histories for an exhibition at Compton Verney on British folk costumes. The project then moved to London where I trained and mentored a new group who recorded 20 more interviews for an exhibition at UAL’s Stratford campus, with an emphasis on London folk customs and costumes. Making Mischief: An Oral History of British Folk Costume
Stories from Beneath the Spire – Litchfield Cathedral Whilst urgent repairs were made to the central spire, a project got underway to capture personal memories and local stories of Litchfield cathedral. I advised the project manager and trained volunteers. Stories from beneath the Spire
Story Shop, Oswestry – A project to collect memories and experiences of Oswestry High Street. I advised the project officer and trained volunteers who collected around 20 oral histories. These were used in an exhibition at the library, archived with Shropshire Archives and used in public consultation about the future High Street.
Newtown Textile Museum Oral History Project- This project, which started before Lockdown, collected stories about the town from people at various Newtown events, such as Food Festival. I’ve helped the Museum process 6 oral histories containing memories of the town and textile factories. Newtown Textile Museum
Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust – Arts and Heritage Group The Art and Heritage Group is embarking on a project to capture stories and memories from staff and patients, covering a diverse range of healthcare experiences. I’ve trained two groups of volunteers who will be recording oral histories, and stories related to healthcare objects exhibited in Wolverhampton Library. Care, Create, Conserve
Siobhán Stevenson- West Midlands Regional Advisor
In spring, I advised Anita Bhalla, who is working with a publisher to complete her life story and publish it as an augmented reality (AR) book, with audio being laid over photos. I built on AR skills learnt when I completed an immersive arts bootcamp and recorded three initial sessions with her and will be continuing this in 2025.
In May, I trained Bread for Life’s founder, students and Tutors from Walsall College, who are collecting oral history interviews with members of the Windrush generation in Walsall and following their archive, editing them into a documentary.
In 2023, I advised Birmingham Race Impact Group when applying for NLH funding for a project documenting Birmingham’s history as an anti-racist city. They were awarded the funding and began work over the summer of 2024.
I trained staff and volunteers for the ‘Seeking the Pioneers’ project. This was a particular highlight for me, as the group were keen to understand the principles of oral history and inspire their volunteers. As I am from the city and have always been proud of its diversity and those who have fought to highlight its communities collective history it was particularly gratifying. https://www.wearebrig.co.uk/new-page
In 2024, I worked as a postdoctoral Research Assistant on a project called Gender Equality 40 years on! with an academic from BCU. As well as gaining my first postdoctoral credit, I was also commissioned to produce three long form in-conversation podcasts (split into 6 episodes) with a range of women who had been involved in fighting for women’s rights during the 1980s in Birmingham. These podcasts were underpinned by oral history principles and will be archived along with physical posters, zines and ephemera gathered by Birmingham City Council’s Women’s Unit. https://bcmcr.org/projects/gender-equality-40-years-on/
I have worked as Oral History Participation Curator for Birmingham Museums Trust on the Voices of the City Project (VotC). The project focuses on four collections from BMT’s City Sound Archive and I have worked with several student, college and community groups sharing audio clips from the VotC collection, demonstrating their potential use in artistic or educational contexts. I also added to my skills when I undertook Archival Management training with the OHS and was able to advise on the archiving formats needed for the museum’s collections. https://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/about/what-we-do/dynamic-collections/voices-of-the-city
Public Health England have been using BMT oral history collections as a prompt to discuss public health policy in a local context. Following an analysis of changing diets in Birmingham during the 20th century, new oral history interviews are being collected following the same format, which will be mapped against Public Health policy to look at the current health of the city and dietary trends. https://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/stories/oral-history-public-health-value
