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Tamsin Bookey, Heritage Manager
Tower Hamlets Local History
Library & Archives (THLHLA)
Access to archives
‘Out of the box’
What I’m going to talk about…
Project partners
Barriers to access for archives for disabled people
‘Out of the Box’ introduction
Photos
Observations on process
Participant case studies
Next steps
Our principles for developing collections and engaging audiences
Out of the Box
A creative partnership between;
Tower Hamlets Council’s Local History Library and Archives
and
filmpro ltd
Funded by Arts Council England and One Tower Hamlets
Supported by The National Archives -Archiving the Arts
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Traditional East End of London
Bethnal Green, Stepney and Poplar
DocksHousing /
BlitzImmigrationLabour and
strikesProtest
About Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives
Bancroft Road, Stepney Green, E1
ArchivesRecords of council and predecessors8000+ property deedsPlaces of worship, businesses, clubs, societies…Oral histories
Local history library36,000 photographsBooks, pamphlets, press cuttingsFilm and videoObjects and paintings
Exhibitions & events Films, talks, creative…
Workshops for schools, colleges, ESOL, lifelong learners, community groups, U3A….
About filmpro
A disabled-led film and digital art agency,
supporting artists who experience exclusion,
particularly disabled artists.
filmpro's mission is to extend the ways of
making and experiencing film and digital art,
and the diversity and openness of the arts
sector.
About Caglar Kimyoncu
A digital and video artist as well as curator
and arts consultant.
Lead Artist for Out of the Box
Also:
Founder and Artistic Director of filmpro
Co-founder and artistic director of the
London Disability Film Festival
Quote from lead artist
"The world of archives is mystifying,
yet a thrilling challenge; I feel there is
more hidden, an elephant in the
room waiting to be noticed, to speak
out loud. This project will be a
stimulating collaborative adventure to
take that elephant out of the box!”
Caglar Kimyoncu, 2014
Assumptions
Archive-holding institutions should engage as many people as possible with their collections
Archives staff want to remove as many barriers to access as possible, and not discriminate against anyone
Archives contain something for everyone but this could be better known and understood by the general public
Drivers
Equality Act 2010
(+ Public Sector Equality Duty for
public sector organisations)
Social model of disability
Good practice!
Identifying barriers
Building / physical
Intellectual
Attitudinal
Barriers in basic searchroom provision
• People need to know that you exist, where you are located and what you can be used for
• They need to visit at the right time and identify the correct service point
• Have a research query or subject area in mind and be able to communicate it
• Understand how to use catalogues, request items and conduct research
• Basic preservation / handling: use pencils, be quiet….
Out of the Box overview
Why?
To deepen service’s understanding of access issues; raise awareness, provide training for staff, explore how collections can be made accessible by example
Opportunities to explore the archive in ways that go beyond experiencing the evidential value of words or images on a page
How?
Actively seek for and co-develop the project idea with an expert partner: filmpro.
Who?
Lead artist Caglar Kimyoncu
Support from TNA, LBTH
£13k grant from Arts Council, spring 2014
Out of the Box: initial methodology
Steering group of stakeholders
Group of c10 disabled participants to attend a set of 3 facilitated, free, 2-3 hour workshops:
(1) Explore the archive
(2) Respond to the archive
(3) Create artwork
Participants grouped into three, defined by mode of engagement: audio, visual and spatial
Multimedia exhibition of artwork
Exhibition tour around Tower Hamlets
Share the learning
Workshops
Workshop groups
Three different groups:
Group 1: individuals from the local area responding to
a general call-out in media and partners’ networks
Group 2: a local deaf group
Group 3: an arts group regularly facilitated by a local
disability support organisation
In the end the workshops were not delivered by defined
mode of exploration (audio, spatial, etc)
This choice and flexibility was offered to participants on an
individual rather than group level.
Out of the Box: workshops
Process: (1) engaging people
THLHLA / steering group staff training in Disability Equality essential at an early stage
Lead artist and team had personal meetings with all THLHLA staff to build familiarity
Preparation: allow a lot of time before the workshops commence (2-3 months) for meetings and offsite visits with local groups
Develop a relationship with local groups’ members/ beneficiaries directly AND secure support from the group’s leaders
Process: (2) using collections
Lead artist interviewed participants individually about what local history subjects they were interested in
Staff matched interests to possible/available collections in advance of workshops; identify range of alternative formats (eg audio)
Lead artist, guest artist and THLHLA staff attend workshops
THLHLA staff hands-on in finding, supplementing or switching material, discussing approaches to the subject with participants
Process: (3) workshop delivery
Number of sessions
Never enough! Factor in time for follow-up group or individual visits
Location
Flexibility to hold them at THLHLHA and where a group feels more comfortable
Guest Artist
Local guest Disabled Artist to co-facilitate – diversify project leadership
Creative enablers
Assisting the participants and artists
Case study 1Context
Archival materials included many books, photos, drawings, maps, newspapers etc. All visual-based items.
Participant’s background
Non-user
Visually impaired person
Limited confidence / experience of accessible and supportive environments
What Out of the Box offered
Live audio description of collections (through project’sCreative Enabler)
Collections in audio format
Large print format / assistive tools
Information on access provision available at THLHLA
Case study 2
Context
Participant interested in the East End’s lost / extinct communities
Participant’s background
Non-user
Creative practitioner, interested in stimulations to nurture their practice
What Out of the Box offered
Wheelchair accessible facilities and room layout
Extensive material on fields of interest
Familiarity with THLHLA as an intellectually and physically accessible place, and a rich source of inspiration/research
Quote from participant
“Thank you very much for the opportunity to
learn about archives and the history of Tower
Hamlets and more. This has stimulated a part
of my brain that had laid dormant. I have
gained in confidence to read history, write and
paint. I believe albeit in a humble fashion that
the sky is the limit. I am truly grateful”
(Group 1 Participant)
Sneak preview
Wed 3 December – Thu 29 January
Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives
Poem extract
The Archives and my Out of the Box experience.
The fourth of July was the first day of the three day course.
Met the archivist, the Out of the Box team and volunteers.
We, the participants felt awkward as one does on day one.
Archived materials were around and after the 15th century.
What a privilege to touch and read those write ups?
My hands sweated as I excitedly perused over the records.
I enjoyed reading about the matchstick ladies and the strike
Sarah, 2014
Out of the Box: next steps
Wed 3 December - Exhibition launch at THLHLA on
International Day of Disabled People
Accessible exhibition in multiple venues touring
around Tower Hamlets in 2015
Evaluation with participants and partners
Further ‘Sharing the Learning’ events:
– Seminar specifically for the heritage and cultural sector
planned for March 2015 – contact me if you have a
similar project or experience that you would like to share
– Training follow-up for Tower Hamlets/library staff
– Write-up: for use by other collections-holding services?
Our principles for collection development and public engagement
“Nothing about us without us”
Ensure that programmes of work (particularly but not exclusively hard-to reach groups) are co-led with people from the community/culture which you are targeting
Ensure these specialists are getting paid an acceptable amount for their invaluable contribution
Large institutions should try to form partnerships with third sector organisations which are equitable – be understanding of the pressures of working with no core funding or infrastructural support
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Work in partnership to secure the funding to make it happen
Ethical use of volunteers
Constantly question: who is getting paid?
Demonstrate your relevance - often requires process of translation, advocacy
Maintain passion for continual learning and seeking to connect and include everyone
www.outoftheboxproject.org
www.ideastore.co.uk/local-history
www.filmpro.net
