Engaging audiences with archive sound recordings can produce inspiring and meaningful connections with the past.
Connecting Scotland’s Sounds engagement projects
2016 and 2017 saw a range of audience engagement projects with archive sound collections. We hope you find inspiration for your own outreach from some of the activities outlined below.
FINDING OUR VOICES
Finding Our Voices: Exploring Local Songs was a project led by Local Voices. The team ran workshops in 8 schools along Scotland’s east coast, encouraging upper primary pupils to explore sound recording technology and local Scots song. These workshop series culminated in performances for school communities. You can read more in a series of five inspiring blogs.
UNHEARD OF
This project enabled communities across Scotland to create 11 podcasts in response to archive recordings, which were subsequently broadcast on community radio. Audio clips were contributed by collections held by Timespan in Helmsdale, Glasgow City Archives, Fife Archives and Orkney Library and Archives. The workshops were led by Media Education, and you can find out more in their ‘making of’ film.
SOUNDING BORDERS
A partnership with Scran and Scottish Borders Archives, this project encouraged creative responses to recording of life story interviews held within the Scottish Borders Archives. See some of the creative outputs under the listen online menu option – filmed drama, podcasts, animations and more.
FUAIM NA MARA/the SOUND OF THE SEA
National Trust for Scotland archivist Fiona Mackenzie and musician Yvonne Lyon led workshops with the Isle of Canna community to create new music tracks inspired by archive sound recordings from the Canna Collection. These are shared in the Canna Pier waiting room within 8 films created using archive footage and sounds alongside new tracks composed by musician in residence Yvonne Lyon. Artwork by visual artist Anne McKay also features in the exhibition.
Other engagement projects
These are also on our radar – do send us more if you know of them!
- The Archive Project (with the School of Scottish Studies Archive)
- Kist Schools project (with Tobar an Dualchais)
- You are Hear project (with Essex Record Office)
- Listen: 140 years of recorded sound exhibition at the British Library
Published guidance
And this is an article about using audiovisual resources in museum displays: The Use of Film, Sound and Oral History in Museum Displays
Engagement tools
The Sounds like Scotland animated mixtape (2 minutes) is a great way of introducing the concept of audio heritage to audiences.
The Sounds like Scotland radio programme (30 minutes) features a host of interesting short clips and contextual commentary.
Other engagement tools
Here are a couple of video interviews suitable for sharing with audiences about sound preservation and sound archives from BBC Archives:
Is there something we’ve missed? Please let Angie know on scotlandssounds@nls.uk – we’re keen to keep updating this list.