Museums And Archives

Telling Our Own Stories 2: Supporting Communities to Reclaim Warwickshire’s Diverse Heritage

Our history is told through a series of ‘master’ narratives derived from records of governing bodies, legal infrastructure and people of influence. Yet the hundreds of miles of material housed in the UK’s archive repositories still tell only a fraction of the story. Intentionally or not, many voices have been excluded from mainstream narratives in the past, voices which would otherwise contribute to a richly-textured and more complete understanding of our history. This project will build on Warwickshire County Record Office’s (WCRO) previous work, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and continue working with communities to retrieve those lost histories and give voice to those silenced until now. Although records are kept by almost everyone, in some way and for some period, their long-term management is a specific skill and so WCRO will support community groups throughout Warwickshire to create, curate and preserve their histories, their way.