Our Projects
A group of children in a churchyard – taking part in the South Humber Bank Wildlife and People project

Case Study - Building Bridges 

Programme: Your Heritage 
Applicant: Full Spectrum Productions   
Grant awarded: £49,537 
Project length: 8 months  

Summary

Full Spectrum Productions was established in 2003, and produces films in arts and education. Before the Building Bridges project they had delivered HLF projects focusing on the experiences of Caribbean communities. Consultation showed that there was a need for another project that would include the perspectives of the wider community.

This project explored how the arrival of Caribbean people on the SS Empire Windrush in 1948 impacted on already established communities in London’s Camden and Brent areas. Volunteers were recruited and trained to undertake oral history interviews and archival research.

An education pack for schools and a documentary film were produced. The film looks at post World War II London, and the cultural, social and political impact of the new migrants on the working class population. The project culminated with a screening at the British Museum and a discussion which enabled more local people to engage with the project.


The aims of the project

The project had four main aims:
  • To respond to the needs of the local community and represent a broader view of the historical period
  • To recruit and train volunteers from schools and community organisations
  • To establish relationships across generations
  • To create a documentary and education pack

Benefits for heritage

  • Oral histories were recorded of 37 elders from the Camden and Brent area.
  • A 30 minute documentary was produced exploring migration from the perspective of the wider community
  • The education pack links to the National Curriculum for Key stages 2 and 3 and has enabled schools to engage with heritage
  • Local people have developed greater knowledge and understanding of their historic and social environment

 


Benefits for people

  • 21 volunteers gained skills in oral history interviewing techniques, archival research and documentary film making
  • Volunteers visited the London Metropolitan Archives, Museum of London, British Museum, and were trained by their staff, as well as the broadcaster and oral historian, Alex Pascall OBE
  • The project’s intergenerational and cross community approach enabled those involved to meet a wider range of people and develop new relationships
  • 300 people attended the final screening of the documentary at the British Museum and had the opportunity to meet the project team
  • The project explored and acknowledged the experiences of a broader range of people about a period of change that was important to them

Lessons learnt

  • The project relied heavily on family and national archives and it was important to have experienced researchers to source photographic and film archives for the documentary and educational resource pack
  • The sourcing of material for the elders’ archives was very complex and involved developing trust and careful planning with the elders

Long term benefits

  • The documentary and education pack are being used within schools

The budget

Main Project Costs
£
Funding
£
Staff / recruitment
11,520
Non-cash contributions
9,250
Design / writing / printing education material
10,617
HLF grant (84%) 49,537
Training
718
Total costs
59,786





Voluinteers sitting talking  

Project participants delivering an oral history session 

Sector

Cultures and Memories 

Activity

Participation