Manchester City of Literature and partners – the Local History and Archives services for Oldham, Tameside and Manchester – want to create a new way to engage residents in local history as part of the gradual recovery from COVID. Community groups will work with a Creative Facilitator and archivists to co-create physical resources based on local archives to connect and support wider groups of local residents most impacted by the pandemic.
Three community groups will be paired with each archive service to create a ‘heritage care kit and resource pack’. Drawing on items in the local archives, the pack will be a creative stimulus for residents to explore their local area from their homes or on outdoor walks and to create their own responses and stories. Sections will be themed around topics relevant to housebound communities living under restrictions: housing and homes, newspapers, dialect and slang, parks and outdoor spaces. For instance drawing on the Tameside Reporter and Oldham Chronicle archives that date from 1895 and early 20th century respectively and local radio reports from the Unlocking Our Sound Heritage archive.
A Creative Facilitator will work with the three groups and professional archivists to create the resources and prompts; these will be trialled and tested at workshops in June during the Festival of Libraries. Final packs will then be printed and distributed as a printed booklet via local networks (Age UK, community support groups, food banks) and via digital channels between August and September.
The Creative Facilitator will oversee the distribution strategy supported by the Community Engagement Manager and Communications Manager at Manchester City of Literature. The packs will also be made available as digital downloads from each archive service’s website, on the Manchester City of Literature website and shared with the Archives Group at GM Libraries and GMCA Culture to reach wider groups.
It is looking for a group of six participants who are up for being involved. It can cover some expenses for travel and food etc
For more information, contact Reece Williams, Community Engagement Manager at Manchester City of Literature on Email: reece.williams@manchester.gov.uk
Twitter: @MCRCityofLit
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Website: www.manchestercityofliterature.com