The
Friends of Birmingham Archives and Heritage is one of the first groups in the
UK to receive a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) All Our Stories grant. This
exciting project, Digbeth Speaks, in Birmingham, is devised and led by young members
of the Friends of Birmingham Archives and Heritage. It has been given £9700 to
explore and preserve Digbeth’s diverse heritage for the future by creating an
audio and visual ‘time capsule’ of the area’s diverse communities at a pivotal
moment of redevelopment.
All Our Stories, a brand new
small grant programme, launched earlier this year in support of BBC Two’s The
Great British Story – has
been designed as an opportunity for everyone to get involved in their heritage.
With HLF funding and support, community groups will carry out activities that
help people explore, share and celebrate their local heritage.
The popular series presented
by historian Michael Wood and supported by a programme of BBC Learning
activities and events got thousands of us asking questions about our history
and inspired us to look at our history in a different way through the eyes of
ordinary people.
The
programme and HLF All Our Stories has proved a real hit and now Digbeth Speaks
is one of hundreds of successful projects around the UK to receive a grant.
Digbeth Speaks will record stories relating to this unique area of inner city
Birmingham, for an archive that will be housed in Birmingham Archives and
Heritage and made permanently accessible to the public. The project will
capture a snapshot of Digbeth as it is now, recording the diverse arts
organisations, small businesses and community groups, as well as the thriving
events and festival scene. The project will be carried out by young volunteer
researchers who will gain invaluable experience in project management and
community engagement projects. They will also have the rare opportunity to have
training in conducting oral history interviews and recordings, equipping them
with the skills to continue to engage with communities and lead exciting heritage
projects in the future.
TV presenter and historian Michael Wood, said: “We
British love our history, and no wonder: few nations in the world, if any, have
such riches on their doorstep, and so much of it accessible to all of us. It is
really tremendous that the people of Birmingham have been inspired to get
involved to tell their own story and to dig deeper into their own past. It’s
brilliant that so many people are being given the chance to get involved
through the All Our Stories grants. Having travelled the length and breadth of
the British Isles this last year filming The Great British Story, I am certain
that fascinating and moving stories will be uncovered which will not only bring
to life the excitement of local history, but will illuminate and enrich every
community’s connection with the national narrative.”
Commenting
on the award, Carly Hegenbarth said: ‘It’s fantastic to have been awarded this
grant; we’re all really delighted. Digbeth is a fascinating area of Birmingham
with such a rich variety of communities, and this will enable us to record some
of that for the future. Contemporary culture isn’t often captured in this way
and we’re really looking forward to being able to share what’s great about
Digbeth now with generations to come.
Reyahn
King, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund West Midlands, said: “Clearly the
success of All Our Stories has reinforced the fact that we are indeed a nation
of story tellers and that we want to explore and dig deeper into our past and
discover more about what really matters to us. This is exactly what the grant
will do for Digbeth Speaks as they embark on a real journey of discovery.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
About Friends of Birmingham
Archives and Heritage (FOBAH)
The Friends of Birmingham Archives and Heritage is a
charity that promotes and supports the work of Birmingham Archives and Heritage
in making its heritage collections available to as wide an audience as
possible. They organise a variety of activities, including: archive open
evenings, guest lectures, exhibition tours and walks. FOBAH also develops
opportunities for volunteers and provides a forum for consultation and dialogue
between Birmingham Archives and Heritage and the general public/interested
parties.
Heritage Lottery Fund
Using money
raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains
and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to
take part in, learn from and enjoy. From museums, parks and historic places to
archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every
part of our diverse heritage. HLF has
supported 33,000 projects, allocating £4.9billion across the UK. Website: www.hlf.org.uk.
BBC Learning
BBC Learning plays a central part in meeting the BBC's purpose of
promoting education and learning. Utilising the power of the BBC's big brands
and key talent, the department puts learning right at the heart of the BBC and
provides a variety of resources and learning opportunities for children,
teachers, parents and adult learners. Working with partners and in local
communities, BBC Learning aims to stimulate interests and encourage engagement
through a variety of campaigns across all BBC genres and platforms.
Project Managers
-
Carly Hegenbarth is a second year AHRC-funded PhD student in History of Art at the
University of Birmingham, and committee member of the Friends of Birmingham
Archives and Heritage (FOBAH).
-
Sarah Taylor
Silverwood is a Studio Manager for K4 Architects in Digbeth. Sarah is also
a visual artist currently Artist in Residence at The University of Birmingham.
-
Katie Hall is the
Exhibitions Officer at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG). She graduated
with an MA in History of Art from the University of Birmingham in 2010 and
subsequently worked for the Barber Institute of Fine Arts and Research and
Cultural Collections and was a University of Birmingham Cultural Intern at
BMAG.
Project Managers: Carly Hegenbarth, Sarah Taylor Silverwood and Katie Hall digbethspeaks@gmail.com, 07837031152
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