'Up the Manor!' Oral History Project
Between 2004 and 2008, Michelle Johansen, Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre, helped to develop and run an inter-generational oral history project in east London called 'Up the Manor!'
You can learn more about the project here.
‘The project has shown me that history is an interesting lesson.’
‘I now understand what teachers mean when they say that learning can be fun.’
Supported by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and managed by the Villiers Park Educational Trust, the ‘Up the Manor!’ project team worked with a group of Year Ten students from George Mitchell School in Leyton to create a permanent oral history of a local social and sports’ club, the Eton Manor Boys' Club (1909-1967).
The students were active participants in ‘Up the Manor!’ They received training in oral history and interviewing techniques, they acted as ambassadors for their school at public events held as part of the project, they researched the history of Eton Manor Boys’ Club and they decided which questions would be asked at the interview sessions. Such activities had a beneficial and wide-ranging set of impacts on this group of young people, increasing their social skills and research skills, their ability to work in a team and their enthusiasm for learning. It also enhanced their perception and understanding of older people and added to their knowledge about the area where they live. Finally, taking part in the project encouraged the students to view themselves as stakeholders in local history. Rather than seeing museums and archives as ‘not for them,’ they came to understand that the study of London’s past was a ‘fun’ leisure activity, available for all to enjoy and learn from.
When asked to sum up his thoughts on ‘Up the Manor!’ as the project came to a close in July 2008, one student said: 'I loved the whole project and think it was a wonderful experience. I wish we could do it all again…'
For some photos of the Eton Manor Boys' Club, click here; and for some from the Up the Manor project, click here.
Growing out of the Up the Manor project has been the Adventurers scheme. Click here for this...
Oral History and Young People: a Note to Teachers |