09 August
The Archive Awareness Campaign unveils its Culture and Diversity theme today, inviting the public to celebrate culture, diversity, the arts and creativity. The campaign is honouring local artists who have made an impact on the history of our communities, and also brings to light stories and artefacts from the places, people and cultures that make up the UK today.
Festival of Britain
Coinciding with the 60th anniversary of The Festival of Britain, Culture and Diversity: What's Your Story? has been inspired by the Festival's attention to the arts, design, architecture and culture of post-war Britain. The Festival was designed to be a celebration of all things British, both historic and contemporary. It represented the varied communities and social and economic classes involved in the celebrations.
Angela Owusu, of Archive Awareness Campaign, said: 'As part of this year's campaign, archives across the country are hosting special events to celebrate the fantastic wealth of their collections. Diverse activities are being held all over, from exhibitions, talks and competitions to an archive feast where the public will have the chance to taste a Regency-era seed cake, which once doubled as a cure for madness!'
Regional highlights include:- Norfolk Record Office will be holding a twilight event where visitors can participate in a live exhibition and view footage of the Festival of Britain celebrations. The Record Office will also explore the 1950s celebrations of the Queen's coronation
- the Victoria and Albert Museum is staging Inside Outing, which will involve an open day with a morning of speakers and an afternoon tour at the Southbank's Museum of 1951, plus an exhibition utilising its collection of Festival of Britain material
- a collection of previously forgotten recipes and foods from across the generations and cultures in Scotland will be tried and tested at the Scottish Council on Archives
- Cornwall Record Office will be launching a series of exhibitions looking at Cornish culture, its arts, festivals, and lifestyle
- the Irish Traditional Music Archive will be holding an exhibition honouring traditional Irish music on long play. The exhibition will allow people to handle LPs as well as listen to rare recordings
Commenting on the aim of the campaign, Geoff Pick of the Archives and Records Association (UK and Ireland) said: 'This campaign offers everyone the opportunity to explore the rich resources and discover the fascinating quality of the UK's cultural heritage. It is paying homage to the arts, contemporary culture and the hidden stories of cultural groups across the country.'
Culture and Diversity: What's Your Story? events will take place in communities across the country.
