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Doing Historical Research!

By Tina Paphitis, on 10 May 2013

Last Saturday (4th May) was the first of three workshops we are holding for our groups to assist them with undertaking their projects. The theme of this workshop was ‘Doing Historical Research,’ and featured talks by the Dig Where We Stand team, as well as provided an opportunity for attendees to ask questions, discuss issues and relate their own experiences. The day started with an introduction to conducting historical research by Gabriel, who also talked about how archaeological research is carried out and how this might be incorporated into heritage projects. This was followed by two talks by Andrew on Oral History, discussing what oral history is, why it is done, how it is conducted, and how it can be used. Andrew also went through the kind of recording equipment that can be used for conducting oral histories, and the ethics involved in this kind of research. This was followed by two talks by Anna on Archives, thinking about what they are and how they can be used, and referring to case studies working through how archival material can be interpreted. We hoped that this day provided some useful pointers for project members, but it was also great to see attendees getting to know each Anna presenting on archivesother during the tea breaks and lunch, exchanging stories and creating new networks!

Slides for the presentations can be found here:

Andrew’s Presentation

Anna’s Presentation

This week, Sarah and Tina also visited Liat at the Jewish Community Centre (JCC) on Wednesday to hear about what has been going on there, the progress of the new Centre being built in Swiss Cottage, and to think about the many exciting possibilities for taking the project forward. It was wonderful to hear about the JCC’s success with their project, and prospects for the future. Sarah also followed this meeting with one with Martin Primary, and Tina will be visiting Valence House on Friday to discuss the Catch-22 project, so a very busy week!

Community Archaeology on the Edge…

By Sarah B Dhanjal, on 2 May 2013

reykjavikLast week Gabriel, Sarah and Tina went to Nordic Theoretical Archaeology Group (TAG) in Reykjavik, Iceland.  The theme of the conference was Borders, Margins, Fringes: Archaeology from the Edge.

 

Sarah organised a session with Suzie Thomas (University of Glasgow), entitled ‘Community Archaeology and the University’.  The idea of the session was to explore the role of universities in community archaeology and to encourage participants to think about some of the issues involved.  We are really grateful for all the thought provoking papers contributed and the responses that we had from those attending.

 

The session began with a paper called ‘How (not) to research community archaeology’ by Gabriel.  In this paper, he discussed the development of community archaeology and the models which are used to understand it at present.  He suggested that the principles of participatory action research could be used to help plan and understand community archaeology.

 

The next two participants presented papers discussing two very different projects, both based in Manchester.  Hannah Cobb presented the Whitworth Park Community Archaeology and History Project and demonstrated how the University of Manchester, as a strong presence in the area, acts as a part of the community.  Adam Thompson discussed the Dig Greater Manchester project, in which, by contrast, the University of Salford aims to engage with communities in 10 local authorities in Manchester.  The papers usefully contrasted projects which differ in both scale and approach.

 

Next up, Sarah gave paper on Dig Where We Stand looking at some of the ways in which the funding framework has affected the way in which the project has worked.  Sarah raised the question of altruism in community archaeology, asking whether the motivations of universities have to be linked to funding, research outcomes and impact.

 

Tom Dawson explored the interaction between the University of St Andrews and local communities on Scotland’s coastline.  Researchers monitoring coastal erosion are engaging the public in editing and updating the records of sites at risk via an interactive website and mobile phone app.  Tom raised important points about the need to incorporate community work into research frameworks.

 

Suzie drew the session to a close by presenting the new Journal for Community Archaeology and Heritage, to be launched in 2014 by the academic publishers Maney.  The journal will provide a new platform for community archaeologists of all backgrounds to share their research.  The journal will feature academic papers.  One of many innovative features will be the ‘Reflections’ section, in which community participants will be invited to reflect on their experiences of community archaeology and heritage projects.  We certainly hope to contribute in the future!

A Stroll in Grove Park

By Tina Paphitis, on 26 April 2013

Last week Andrew Flinn, Gabriel Moshenska and I met with Stephen Kenny at Grove Park Community Centre to discuss how we could help the community develop their heritage project. We were met with a warm welcome and a cup of tea! The Ringwood Centre is an inspiring place that survived being torn down for a major road development in 1972, and it is clear that the community really care about the Centre and Grove Park. The Centre consists of a house and relocated pre-fabricated buildings partly occupying land where the writer Edith Nesbit’s (author of The Railway Children) house once stood! It does everything, from hosting regular activities and events (such as folk singing, lace-making and fitness classes), to circulating a local newsletter and providing a place for people to visit, meet and chat with friends or get on with their own thing. Grove Park itself has a fascinating history: as well as being the home of Nesbit, who entertained her friends H.G. Wells and Oscar Wilde in her gardens, it was also where Desmond Tutu ministered in the 1970s, and has a rich railway heritage.Grove Park Station Sign

Grove Park Community Group are developing a heritage and literary trail to reveal this hidden history, and hope to develop an audio-visual guide for walkers, which will include information about the history of the place, and of recollections of local residents. In this, we (Andrew) aim to provide training and equipment needed for conducting oral histories that can be used for the trails and other activities. Additionally, we (Gabe and Tina) hope to add to this history by running a week-long excavation where local primary school children can come and learn about archaeology – and who knows what might turn up?! This will all take place around a Grove Park Summer Fair to be held on 6 July, which promises to be a fun event, and where people can contribute their own tales, recollections and sentiments about Grove Park.

After discussing all of this, we were taken on a lovely walk around the Park, during which we could plan potential trench locations and take in the wonderful views! We went away feeling enthralled by the place and the work of the Group, and excited to be part of this project. Watch this space for updates on our progress and information on events!

Capturing the Spirit of Southwark

By Anna Sexton, on 19 April 2013

Last Monday I had the pleasure of visiting the Dragon Cafe for the first time.  The Dragon Cafe is the meeting place for the  Mental Fight Club which describes its mission as being:

‘…to put on imaginative events for people of all mental experience. All our events seek to connect our inner and our outer world and ourselves to one another, whoever we may be…’

The Dragon Cafe itself is like nothing I have ever experienced before.  I went not knowing anyone and had the usual mix of dread and excitement when you go to something for the first time…When I entered there was Latin American dancing in full swing, there were people sitting chatting to each other around a cafe area, there were people working together on a collective art project.  I had a cup of tea and sat and watched and felt comfortable – there was a vibrancy and a buzz of activity around the place but surprisingly it simultaneously felt calm and relaxed.

I went with the intention of joining the photo group who contribute to Mental Fight Club’s ‘Spirit of Southwark’ project. They are using disposable cameras to take photos and they go on photo walks around Southwark as a collective activity.  The group decided to explore the theme of reflections together, so off we went!

There are three observations I want to make about the experience of joining in with the group:

-Firstly, I realised that on my way to the Dragon Cafe, I did the typical thing that I always fall into when travelling from a to b.  Head down, only looking around me out of necessity – tracing street signs to work out if I was going the right way, or looking left and right at roads to prevent being mown down, but basically ignoring everything and everyone around me.  The deliberate act of going on a walk to take photos opened the possibility to see things.  I was looking up at the skylines of the buildings, I was interested in the alleyways, and I was looking for the detail and the beauty of what was around me.  This in itself is a rewarding outcome – its good to be appreciative and notice, and to question what surrounds us.

-Secondly, this experience was distinct because it was not an individual activity – it was something I was doing with others.  The enthusiasm of the other members of the group had engulfed me before we had even left the dragon cafe as they talked about photos that they had previously taken and showed me the archive they were creating.  While walking they showed me interesting shots I could try, and as I was using my camera phone, suggested playing with the settings to get different pictures. Sharing knowledge and skills on a practical level was one enjoyable element connected to doing it with others, but also one member of the group knew the area very well and hearing him talk about his life in association with the place meant I was gaining insight that I would never have got if I was doing the activity alone.  And then aside from the specifics of the photography and the connection to Southwark there was just the pleasure of walking, talking, and getting to know people.

-Thirdly, I think the end results are pretty good! I didn’t completely stick to the ‘reflections’ brief but it is definitely an element in a lot of the photos.  The credit for these goes to the co-ordinator, Liz, and the rest of the group who were the inspiration and guide.  Have a look and see what you think……

Photo Walk date: 15 April 2013. Starting at 5ish.

Starting point

Starting point

Alley b

Alley b

Alley C

Alley C

Reflecting on the shard

Reflecting on the shard

Playing with reflections

Playing with reflections

Inspired by Max

Inspired by Max

The group

The group

Fading light - getting cold

Fading light – getting cold

more london riverside 37

more london riverside 37

tourist pic

tourist pic

Meet the ECRs!

By Sarah B Dhanjal, on 5 April 2013

“So, what are ECRs?” I hear you ask…  An ECR is an Early Career Researcher.  This project has 3 ECRs, who are all at early stages of an academic career.  The project gives them the opportunity to further develop their skills in working in community heritage.  Their role is to provide support to HLF ‘All Our Stories’ funded groups and to assist with our ongoing project partnerships.  Here they are to introduce themselves…

Anna

DigWWStand pic of Anna

My name is Anna Sexton and I am a PhD student in the Department of Information Studies at UCL.  My current research is being carried out in partnership with the Wellcome Library.  I am looking at how mental health has been represented over time in the Wellcome Library’s archives and manuscripts collections.  I am particularly interested in exploring ‘voice’ within these collections, and I have found that despite shifts in collecting patterns in recent decades, the ‘voice’ of the professional expert is still the predominant representation through which concepts of mental health are shaped.  I am actively seeking to contribute to redressing the balance of ‘voice’ within the collections by working with a small group of contributors with lived experience who are building digital archive collections based on their personal stories of mental health recovery.  We are hoping to launch these digital collections in November 2013.  Through this work with the Wellcome Library, I am able to explore the concept of ‘participatory practice’ and what it means in an archival context and in particular I am able to look at issues relating to power, control, authority and representation in the creation and ongoing preservation of archives.

Prior to starting my PhD, I managed the Archives Service in Peterborough where I was able to work with a range of community groups on heritage projects.  My highlights involved developing a ‘Young Cultural Creators’ programme aimed at 16-19 year olds outside mainstream education who came to create and perform poetry that used our archive collections for inspiration.  I also enjoyed working with local occupational therapists to develop local history courses for mental health service users; and I enjoyed partnering with local community groups such as the Baker Perkins Historical Society in celebrating their heritage.  I am also still involved in Peterborough as a board member for the HLF funded Forty Years On project: http://www.vivacity-peterborough.com/libraries-and-archives/forty-years-on/ Working with Eastern Angles Theatre Company on the bid and securing the funding for the project was definitely the highlight of my time in Peterborough!

 

Tina

DWWS pic of Tina

I am a PhD student at UCL Institute of Archaeology, where I also completed my BA and MA degrees in Egyptian Archaeology and Archaeology respectively. After my undergraduate degree I worked as the Institute’s Undergraduate Administrator, and I have also worked as an administrator for the Egypt Exploration Society (EES). I have worked on a range of archaeological projects in Britain, Spain and Egypt, and co-ordinated and contributed to various outreach projects, including the Festival of British Archaeology, Young Archaeologists’ Club (YAC), taster days in archaeology and adult education talks.

My doctoral research examines the role of folklore in archaeological investigations, particularly examining the emergence and reproduction of folktales associated with archaeological sites in Britain from the medieval period to the present day and the role these play in the construction of local and national identities and identity movements, as well as how such folklore represents the diverse engagements with archaeological sites by various social groups. I use historical, folkloric and archaeological archives in my research, as well as collect primary data from site visitors and local residents through questionnaires, the latter contributing to an assessment of what kinds of stories the public today tell about archaeological sites and how these fit into notions of ‘heritage.’ I am co-organiser (with the Folklore Society) of the annual ‘Popular Antiquities: Folklore & Archaeology’ conferences. My other research interests include the use and role of archaeology in popular culture, predominantly in fantasy, Gothic and horror literature and film, and in the interplay between archaeology, folklore and fantastic fiction. I am also involved with the British Film Institute’s (BFI) ‘British Gothic’ programme, for which I am contributing to the creation of educational resources using the BFI’s film and special collections archives pertaining to this theme.

 

Sarah

DWWS Sarah

Like Tina, I am also a PhD student at UCL Institute of Archaeology!  I also completed my BA in General Archaeology and MA in Public Archaeology at the Institute.  Between my undergraduate degree and my MA, I began working in museums.  I was an Explainer at the Science Museum, which was a brilliant experience and taught me a lot about presenting sometimes complex ideas to different audiences.  They also allowed me to go part-time to do my MA.  Since then I have worked at UCL as a Widening Participation Officer.  I also work as a freelance archaeology and education specialist.  This takes me to all sorts of sites and museums, working with schools (outreach and organising visits) and communities.  I have also been involved in creating interpretation for sites.  I am one of the leaders of UCL’s branch of the Young Archaeologists’ Club (YAC).  I have worked on Dig Where We Stand since it began in 2012.

My PhD research is about how people in Southall, West London, view the past.  My research is influenced by the theory of social construction, which suggests that we co-construct our knowledge and understanding of the world around us.  In particular, I am interested in exploring the relationship between people’s identities and the past.  As an archaeologist, I am interested in whether archaeology is part of this relationship or the role it could play.  My other research interests are related to the public relationship with heritage, the role of archaeology in education, and communicating the past.

Dig Where We Stand goes to school

By Sarah B Dhanjal, on 25 March 2013

Andrew Flinn and Sarah Dhanjal went back to school on 12th March. Here’s Sarah’s account of the day:

The artist Alda Terracciano from Aldaterra (http://aldaterra.com/projects/the-living-archaeology-of-the-place/) asked DWWS to visit a school in Tulse Hill to talk to Year 2 and Year 4 about different ways of doing history.  As an archaeologist (me) and a historian (Andrew), we had so much we could fit into a session and definitely not enough time!  The Aldaterra project “The Living Archaeology of the Place” is looking at stories of the Afro-Brazilian experience in London.  After some discussion we decided to concentrate on oral history as most relevant to the project.

Our learning objectives were:

– there are different ways of finding out about the past

– there are different jobs people can do to find out about the past

– oral history involves interviewing people about their lives

– oral histories are recorded so other people can benefit from them.

We introduced ourselves to the class and gave a short introduction to UCL and universities.  With the class, we discussed archaeology, oral history and the many different ways we can find out about the past.  We were able to use our academic backgrounds to show that you can study various subjects and do different jobs to help add to our shared understanding of the past.  We then focused on what sort of questions an oral historian might ask.  Using two examples of people born  before World War II, we discussed what might have happened to them, what they would be able to tell us about their own lives and the important events they lived through.  The pupils had some brilliant ideas for questions and enthusiastically engaged with the task.

IMG_0020

For the main activity we split the class into three groups and asked each group to formulate questions to ask the adult working with their group.  We discussed the need to ask questions that would make the person being interviewed feel comfortable with being recorded.  We also thought about the questions that we need to ask to make sure we capture all the important information we are looking for on the recording.  Finally we encouraged the pupils to think of questions that would make their interviewees reflect on the past rather than the present.  The children already wanted to find out more about us, so it was a good chance to channel some of their curiosity!

We then recorded interviews between the children and their adults.  The questions were great, exploring a wide range of our life experiences and interests:

“Has anyone in your family died?”

“How did you feel when you went to university?”

“What countries have you visited?”

“Did you go to this school?”

“Where did you meet your wife and why did she come to this country?”

“What is your favourite ice cream flavour?”

We finished by sharing some of the recordings with the whole class and discussing how they could use oral history in their project with Aldaterra.

IMG_0078

 

We had a great time and we’d like to thank Aldaterra and all the teachers and pupils at the school.

 

Still Digging Where We Stand

By Sarah B Dhanjal, on 13 March 2013

Apologies for the prolonged bloggage silence.  Things have been busy here at Dig Where We Stand.  In a good way!

We have been awarded further funding by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and are working to support the following groups with their HLF All Our Stories projects:

  • ALDATERRA – the Living Archaeology of the Place
  • Welwyn Archaeological Society
  • Friends of Windmill Gardens – Mill Memories
  • The Paddington Arts – ‘Cultural Heritage of North Paddington’
  • East Finchley Community Trust – ‘Martin School – our school, our story’
  • Grove Park Community Group – Grove Park heritage and literary trail.
  • Jewish Cultural Centre – JEWISH EAST END
  • Hoxton Hall – Shoreditch Storybank
  • Mental Fight Club – the Spirit of Southwark
  • Narrative Eye – Black People in Tudor England
  • IROKO Theatre – Homage to Canning Town African Ancestors
  • The Cinema Museum, Community Curators – local cinema heritage
  •  Bexley Heritage Trust, Under your feet’ – exploring the Hidden Landscape at Hall Place
  • Jacksons Lane, A Borough United
  • Coin Street Centre Trust – Heritage sights and sounds
  • Catch-22 – Stories of Becontree

A trip to the Cinema Museum

chris orourke 1

Last week, Chris O’Rourke made his way to the Cinema Museum to join in with one of their events:

“I helped out at a Study Day for the ‘Picture Palaces’ project, which took place at the Cinema Museum.

For anyone who hasn’t been there, the Cinema Museum comprises a huge collection of objects to do with all aspects of filmgoing. It’s housed in what was once the Lambeth Workhouse, where Charlie Chaplin spent time as a child. Now the building is jammed wall-to-wall with film posters, projection kit, tip-up seats, ushers’ uniforms, and film memorabilia – most of it purchased or salvaged by the museum’s founders, Ronald Grant and Martin Humphries.

The ‘Picture Palaces’ project, which is being funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund’s ‘All Our Stories’ strand, aims to draw attention to the local cinema heritage around Elephant and Castle and Kennington. Community curators, led by Abigail Tripp, are planning a series of events, building up to an exhibition later in the year, as well as collecting memories of filmgoing from Lambeth residents.

The Study Day was the first chance for volunteers and members of the local community to meet and swap ideas for the project. There were nine different ‘stations’ laid out around the museum’s massive central hall for people to visit. Each one was set up to introduce different skills, like sound editing and oral history interviews, and to give information about useful resources like historic maps, old photographs of the area, and material relating to Chaplin’s life in South London. I was chatting to people about archives and online resources for finding out about London’s cinema history. There was also another UCL researcher there (Dr Linda Thomson) looking into the benefits of heritage projects for people’s wellbeing.

The day was a great way to learn more about the area and to hear stories about growing up and going to the pictures in Lambeth. There are plans afoot for more ‘Picture Palaces’ events soon, including field trips to some of the area’s old cinema and music hall venues.”

It’s a great project and we are really happy to be supporting it.

chris orourke 2

 

 

 

Participants mapping old cinemas at the ‘Picture Palaces’ study day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next week: Dig Where We Stand go back to school…

 

Presentations from Saturday

By Sarah B Dhanjal, on 26 June 2012

 

Saturday’s workshop was great!  We were pleased to meet lots of new and old faces.  I’ve attached some of the presentations, of particular urgency is booking for these HLF workshops:

All Our Stories Event
Monday 02 July, 1.00pm – 3.00pm at Heritage Lottery Fund, 7 Holbein Place, London SW1W 8NR
Presentations and discussions of programme, assessment criteria and application process
RSVP to deborahs@hlf.org.uk by 5pm Monday 25 June
Limited availability- booking essential

 

Working with Young People
Tuesday 3rd July 2012, 6.00pm-8.15pm, Sackler Centre for Arts Education, The Victoria & Albert Museum.  For more information contact: LondonEvents@hlf.org.uk

 

So book now!

 

 

 

More soon…

 

HLF UCL Presentation 23 June 2012 [Compatibility Mode]

Start to dig Planning an oral history project

Starting to Dig Introd to DWWS

 

Start to Dig Programme

By Sarah B Dhanjal, on 18 June 2012

Our open day event is coming up fast, so here’s an idea of what we will be up to.  We are going to have a member of staff from HLF telling us all about the work of HLF and the new All Our Stories funding stream.  Members of the Dig Where We Stand project team will be presenting workshops on:

  • working with young people
  • archaeological fieldwork
  • oral history and community archives
  • working with communities

We’ll also be finding out more about you!  What is your community heritage dream project ?  How can we help make your dream a reality?  If you haven’t booked yet, here is the address:

http://starttodig.eventbrite.co.uk/

Dig Where We Stand Events

By Sarah B Dhanjal, on 10 June 2012

So…  It’s that time.  Events are coming up and we are getting ready to dig!  Literally and metaphorically.  Here is a little more information about what we are up to.

June 11th-15th, The Hendon School Community Archaeology Project (Hendon), bringing together staff and students from the UCL research team, the Hendon and District Archaeological Society, and Hendon School to conduct archaeological research on Hendon House, a sixteenth century manor house whose remains lie beneath the school playing field. For further details, contact Dr Gabriel Moshenska (gmoshenska@yahoo.co.uk)  and Sarah Dhanjal (s.dhanjal@ucl.ac.uk)

June 23rd ‘Start to dig!’ Introducing Community Heritage Half day workshop introducing different elements of community history practice, the HLF All Our Stories fund, and the resources of UCL. Held in the Institute of Archaeology and the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL. All welcome (contact, a.flinn@ucl.ac.uk or s.dhanjal@ucl.ac.uk)

June 27th, Annual Community Archives and Heritage Group conference, History Matters – Community Archives and Learning, UCL. Overall theme – involving young people in community archive and history activities. Includes a presentation by the Dig team.  More details about places at this free conference can be found at http://www.communityarchives.org.uk/page_id__1166_path__.aspx or contact a.flinn@ucl.ac.uk

July 9th– 14th, Public Archaeology Summer School (Welwyn, Hertfordshire). Week long summer school and conference, a collaboration between Welwyn Archaeological Society and UCL’s Institute of Archaeology. For more details about this, contact Dr Kris Lockyear (noviodunum@hotmail.com)

I’ll be adding to the blog this week about how things are going at Hendon – we’re hoping it doesn’t rain too much.  And to give you further information about the ‘Start to Dig’ event – tickets are selling out fast!