Join artists Beth Emily Richards and Tom Goddard in an in-conversation exploring archives and community archiving. Hosted as part of the 'Democratising Archives' project currently being delivered in Plymouth, this conversation will explore notions of collecting, awareness of archives, inclusivity, community voice, and representation. Beth and Tom will discuss ideas the project has been exploring around involvement in and engagement with collections, thinking about the opportunities and challenges and how we might work with communities to democratise archives:
What do we include and leave out, and who decides this?
Who's voice leads and how are those stories told?
How can we utilise archives to preserve and celebrate our stories?
Can archives be kept relevant and alive, and who manages this?
What role do social media and digital archiving play in how we store and collect memories now?
They will reflect on these prompts and themes considering the learning so far from the Democratising Archives project, discussing their thoughts and bringing in perspective from their own practice.
This event is free to attend.
Democratising Archives is a project led by the Learning Academies Trust delivered in collaboration with Take a Part and the communities of Efford, St Judes and Whitleigh. Democratising Archives is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Beth Emily Richards is a creative practitioner working as an artist, curator, researcher, and educator; with a focus on collaborative practices. Her work is inherently social and community-engaged; she often work with communities of geography, identity, and interest to co-produce creative projects. She focuses on presenting work outside of institutional spaces, in the public realm, and more recently, in rural contexts.
Tom Goddard is a visual artist and teacher, he was a member of gentle/radical, nominated for the Turner Prize in 2021, he was awarded the Marsh Award for excellence in education, a Creative Wales award and was selected for Jerwood Survey - a major exhibition presenting works by 15 early-career UK artists in 2018/19. He has exhibited across the USA, South America, China, Europe, and the UK. He has worked extensively in social and community arts practice, primarily with young people.
This event will take place in the Simmonds Learning Room, with thanks to The Box for hosting this event.
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