Oral Histories
University students capture local history. In June 2009, Dr Owen Davies, Professor of Social History won a Heritage Lottery Fund grant to preserve the legacy of the de Havilland Aviation Company and its contribution to the prosperity of Hatfield. With this grant, we were able to carry out a number of important activities including using oral history.
What is oral history?
Oral history captures personal experiences and opinions and offers a valuable source of historical information. For students, participation in oral history projects builds initiative, decision taking, the inter-personal skills required to interview complete strangers, and professionalism with regard to ethics, planning and organisation.
University projects
The de Havilland Airfield Reminiscence Project: Once a centre of the British aviation industry, the de Havilland Airfield is now a mix of housing, University campus, Business Park and open space. Funding was secured from the Heritage Lottery Fund to capture and communicate its history through collaborations with residents, students and former workers. Students were crucial in designing a heritage trail leaflet and collecting oral histories of the site from those who have worked and lived in Hatfield since the 1930s. Our senior research fellow – Andrew Green, a BBC radio producer – trained students to industry standards, giving them a taste of what a career in broadcasting might bring.
An instant oral history project at Stevenage Football Club: Central to this project, students interviewed 70 fans over the course of one Saturday in October 2011 and produced an interactive brochure about the event. This technique was deployed again in May 2012 at the South Hatfield Community fete.
The results
Oral history is one of the contexts in which students are central to social and cultural entrepreneurialism in the School of Humanities. They are active agents who participate in staff research and other outward-facing projects allied to the curriculum. Through our collaborations, students develop independent ideas and networks; they acquire skills
All history students now get training in their second year, with around a third opting to make histories in some capacity. Through practical experience, students become more aware that these are empowering and transferable skills.
To help students value these achievements, we’ve introduced formal academic credit for a programme of work placements in heritage, including oral history projects and volunteering with Hertfordshire’s online archive.
Find out more
To find out more about the Oral History projects, please contact Dr Sarah Lloyd.
Contact
Dr Sarah Lloyd, Reader in History
T: +44 (0)1707 285 623