This project has finished and the resources are available on the Telling Our Stories Devon website
History of the Project:
Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots: Devon’s Multicultural History started in 2019 and ended in 2021 – severely disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite those challenges, this was a very successful project. It focused on the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME*) history of three very different Devon towns: Tiverton, a semi-industrial town near to Exeter; Okehampton, a rural market town and gateway to Dartmoor; and Bideford, a significant port in North Devon.
Through the project, we supported teams of local volunteers to explore and share the rich and diverse history of their communities. Through archival research and oral history, the project uncovered untold stories of BAME* residents past and present. This included stories from European or other people from abroad who have moved and settled in the towns, and from Black British citizens and other British citizens who have a different culture, faith or ethnicity from the main population of the towns.
At the end of the project, we shared the stories we discovered through public storytelling events in each town. A dedicated website, www.tellingourstoriesdevon.org.uk provides a permanent digital archive, making the rich and fascinating stories of our participants accessible to anyone, anywhere. We also developed teaching and school resources, to share the project content with young people across Devon.
Partners:
This project was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and other funders.
We are delighted to be working with community groups and museums in each town, including our heritage partners: Tiverton Museum, The Museum of Dartmoor Life in Okehampton, and the Burton Art Gallery and Museum in Bideford.
Privacy Policy: The policy is available here
*We use BAME to mean members of Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups, migrants from anywhere in the world, and British people with heritage from other countries, cultures or faiths.