Experiences of two Year 7 students on making podcasts from archived oral history interviews with workers at the Royal Worcester Porcelain Factory. Reflections also from their teacher Lauren Thatcher who supported them through this unique project.
Welcome to our blog post!
Our names are Amelie and Sophie and we want to tell you about an oral history podcast project that we’ve been doing with the Museum of Royal Worcester. It started at the beginning of May when a small group of us went on a visit to the museum. It’s on the site of the Royal Worcester Porcelain factory which produced world-famous porcelain for 250 years. At the museum we heard lots of stories about the people who worked there. We also had our first experience of using mics to record each other.
In 2007 an oral historian called Julia Letts interviewed 35 people who worked in the Worcester Porcelain factory. It was our task to choose an interview from this archive, listen to it, select bits we liked and turn them into a podcast. A week later, back in the classroom, we made our choice. Our podcast would be about a lady called Freda, a porcelain painter who worked at the factory between 1946 and 1971. We listened to Freda’s lovely oral history interview and selected four extracts from it, sections that explained what Freda did or funny stories about life in the factory. The following week we started writing our scripts and putting our interview clips into the order we wanted them. Julia reminded us how important it is that the podcasts flow well.
By the beginning of June, we had finalised our scripts and had a practice run through. We shared our podcasts with the rest of the team so that we could get some valuable feedback. June 13th was the most exciting part. We began to record our podcasts. It was the first time any of us had been in a recording studio. The last stage was to decide which sounds and music to add to make our podcasts more entertaining.
We really enjoyed this project. We learned lots about the history of Worcester, and how important the porcelain factory was to the city, and we’ve gained lots of new skills. If you would like to listen to our podcast, you can find it here: The Porcelain Podcasts
Thank you ???? Amelie and Sophie
Reflections on the project by Lauren Thatcher, History Teacher Nunnery Wood High School
Having been approached by the Museum of Royal Worcester to take part in this project I was a little nervous. As a new teacher this would be my first time taking on such a big project but I am so glad that I did! We live in a world where podcasts are becoming increasingly popular, so using them to engage students in history, and more specifically local history, sounded like a good opportunity.
Project overview
The whole project took about 12 weeks to complete. I invited our students to apply and then selected twelve Year 7’s and 2 Year 9’s. Oral Historian Julia Letts came up with a plan which involved the group meeting every Thursday afternoon after school. By having a clear structure and having Julia there to keep us on track, the students could methodically work through the tasks and complete their podcasts on time. I know that the students really enjoyed the recording process; many were quite nervous about this but the more they practiced the more confident they became.
Why was it good for the students?
The major benefits were learning to work as a team, making new friends, learning the value of oral history and learning new skills such as script writing, editing, research and public speaking. I chose students with a range of abilities and this project really showed how accessible it was for all.
Why was this a good opportunity for teachers?
I too learnt new skills and it gave me the opportunity to get to know my students better and helped raise the profile of my department. By giving students the chance to work with a local archive, I felt we created a lasting memory for them. The biggest challenge was time management but by working closely with Julia, we kept to our tight schedule and delivered 8 podcast episodes.
Working with a heritage organisation
We are increasingly living in a world where students are disconnected with what is around them, especially history. Working with the Museum of Royal Worcester was a valuable experience for all of us. The students now view the museum in a different light. They understand what oral history is, respect the experiences of local working people and have a lasting connection with the former factory.
This project was part of a public art project funded by Worcester City Council. The Porcelain Podcasts are available on Spotify The Porcelain and YouTube Museum of Royal Worcester YouTube
