Community history and archives projects are all different and require a range of different approaches and skills depending on what the project is about and what it is intending to produce - it could be a book, an exhibition or event, a film, a series of oral history recordings, a history trail, a website, a performance or piece of artwork. Connecting Histories is working with a number of groups across Birmingham who are undertaking their own projects and this part of the website has developed as a result of that work.

On this page you will find a series of short guidance leaflets that you can download on some of the elements involved in doing an archives or community history project. These are not intended to be a set of definitive instructions representing the one and only way of doing something. Their aim is to provide a basic starting point or checklist for individuals and groups who may not have done a project of this kind before, and they are based on our own experiences and the experiences of some of the community groups with whom we have been working. They also bring together references to publications, contact details or websites that we have found useful and that are worth checking out when you are starting your project.

If you have been working on a community history project and would like to share any useful lessons or good practice you feel have learned and can pass on to others, or if you’re just about to start planning a project and would like to discuss it with us, then please contact us.

Introductory Leaflets to Download:

How to Plan a Project

How to Plan an Oral History Project

How to Get Funding

How to Give a Talk

How to Create an Archive