Culture And Memory

A Moving Archive for Napier Barracks

Common Grounding will create the first community-led archive documenting life at Napier Barracks, Folkestone - the recently-closed asylum seeker accommodation that shaped our town from 2020-2025. Working with people who lived/worked/volunteered at the Barracks, we will gather digital ephemera, objects, recordings and personal testimonies, commencing during Refugee Week 2026 and moving beyond. Our vision is to place the people most affected by the Barracks at the centre of how its history is told and remembered, creating a polyphonal, community-owned record before memories and materials are lost. In partnership with SOAS University of London, we will develop rigorous archival methodology rooted in best practice. The legacy will be a digital archive hosted by the SOAS team that honestly reflects the impact of the Barracks on Folkestone's communities - and preserves that history not just for future generations but also for other communities engaging with mass asylum accommodation accommodation initiatives.