“THIS IS MY HOME NOW” A PROJECT AT SOUTHAMPTON ,HAMPSHIRE ,ENGLAND .31ST DECEMBER 2012
THIS ORAL HISTORY PROJECT HAS NOW CONCLUDED AND WAS BASED ON 28 REFUGEES WHO HAD FLED PERSECUTION OR CONFLICT IN THEIR COUNTRIES TO LIVE IN THE AREA OF SOUTHAMPTON BETWEEN 1939 TO 2007.
JENNY CUFFE THE MANAGER OF THE PROJECT REFLECTS BELOW ON THE WORK, OF WHICH A FULL ACCOUNT AND GUIDANCE ON THE UNDERTAKING CAN BE SEEN ON THEIR PROJECT WEBSITE .THIS IMPORTANT WORK WOULD BE INVALUABLE IF REPEATED ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD .
“AS REFUGEES ,THE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE TAKEN PART HAVE EXPERIENCED TRAUMA AND LOSS BEFORE RE-BUILDING THEIR LIVES .IN DEVISING OUR PROJECT AND CARRYING OUT THE INTERVIEWS ,WE TRIED TO BE SENSITIVE TO THIS AND TO ENSURE THAT THE PARTICIPANTS HAD A MEASURE OF CONTROL OVER THE PROCESS “.
“THE CONCEPT OF ORAL HISTORY WAS TOTALLY NEW TO SOME OF OUR PARTICIPANTS .WE WERE ALSO AWARE THAT SOME HAD HAD NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES WHEN TELLING THEIR STORIES TO OFFICIALS FROM THE UK BORDER AGENCY ,WHO QUESTIONED THEIR TRUTHFULNESS. OTHERS CAME FROM CULTURES WHERE IT IS NOT USUAL OR EVEN ACCEPTABLE TO TELL YOUR LIFE STORY TO A STRANGER ,AND A FEW OF THEM FELT THAT THEY OR THEIR FAMILIES WERE STILL AT RISK FROM THE REGIMES THEY HAD FLED “.
THE PROJECT HAS NOW ENDED ,BUT THE TOURING EXHIBITION HAS BEEN WELL ATTENDED AND COPIES OF THE BOOK HAVE BEEN WIDELY DISTRIBUTED . JENNY GOES ON TO SAY THAT “ALL OF US THAT WORKED ON “THIS IS MY HOME NOW ” OVER THE EIGHTEEN MONTHS FOUND IT AN ENRICHING EXPERIENCE ,BUT WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT ,THE PARTICIPANTS THEMSELVES HAVE ENJOYED THE PROCESS AND SEEM PROUD OF THE RESULT”.
TO FIND OUT MORE ,GO TO : `THIS IS MY HOME NOW`, WEBSITE . www.myhomenow.org/how-to -produce -an -oral history- exhibition
THE ` STALL STORIES ` PROJECT LONDON , ENGLAND 31ST DECEMBER 2012
YOUNG PEOPLE FROM FOUR SCHOOLS IN LONDON ARE INVOLVED IN PRODUCING DOCUMENTARIES ABOUT THEIR LOCAL STREET MARKETS ,OTHERS WHO ARE WORKING WITH THEM ARE THE ARTS AND EDUCATIONAL CHARITY digital : works . THEY WERE TRAINED AT THEIR LOCAL ARCHIVE IN FILMING AND INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES ,BEFORE INTERVIEWING LOCAL STALL TRADERS AND SHOPPERS .THE FILMS CAPTURED A VIVID SNAPSHOT OF MARKET LIFE AS IT IS TODAY .
OVER MANY HUNDREDS OF YEARS , THESE STALLS HAVE PROVIDED A LIVELIHOOD FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE . THE FILMS HAVE BEEN SHOWN IN MARKETS, SCHOOLS ,COMMUNITY EVENTS ,AND AT FILM FESTIVALS.
THE FILMS CAN BE SEEN FREE OF CHARGE ON THE PROJECT WEBSITE ,WHERE A BOOKLET ABOUT THE PROJECT CAN BE DOWNLOADED . WEBSITE : www.stallstories.org.uk.
GET INVOLVED WITH YOUR OWN COMMUNITY BY BUILDING PROJECTS LIKE THESE .THE RESULTS CAN BE LIFE CHANGING ! PAT CARTER 31ST DECEMBER 2012
WITH THANKS TO THE JOURNAL OF THE ORAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN FOR NEWS ON THESE PROJECTS .SEE THEIR WEBSITE :www.ohs.org.uk/ journal
