Please find below the latest information on the Sheffield Feminist Archive project, including: current campaigns, collaborations, and guidance on how to visit the archive. We hope it finds you well!
Our First Fundraiser
We have recently launched our first ever fundraising campaign! We’re hoping to raise £200 over the next eight weeks for, amongst many things: promotional materials, room hire for showcasing events and volunteer training. If you’re interested in furthering our cause then please follow the link below for further information on how to donate. Just a one-off donation of £15 would be enough to print 100 leaflets and spread the word about womens’ history in Sheffield: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/sheffield-feminist-archive-1
Remembering Resistance
On the 21st September 2019, in collaboration with our friends at the ‘Remembering Resistance’ project at Lancaster University, we gathered at the Sheffield Hallam Pop-up shop for a fantastic one-day event. The event aimed to bring together members of the public to share their stories of women’s activism in Sheffield. Through games, activities, and an on-site recording booth, we engaged with both the ‘Remembering Resistance’ project, which is collecting testimony from all over the North, and with Sheffield residents who had some truly insightful and moving memories to share.
How to Visit the Archive
If you are as excited as we are by the fascinating materials held in our archive why not take a trip down to Sheffield City Archives and take a look for yourself? Here’s our step-by-step guide:
- Have a browse through the catalogue, found on our website, for any materials that might interest you!
- Although not necessary, we advise contacting the archive ahead of time to ensure the materials you require will be available.
- Register as a reader by filling in a short application form, either online or in person, and bring two forms of identification with you on the day.
- Once registered, you will have full access to our materials, including our Oral History Interviews, as well as many other interesting collections held by Sheffield City Archive.
For more information on how to register and how to contact the archive, please click the link here.
Training in Interviewing for the SFA Oral History Project
The Sheffield Feminist Archive Oral History project is one very important part of our work. Interviews are undertaken with individuals who have been involved in feminism and women’s activism, recorded, summarised and stored in Sheffield Archives. All our volunteer interviewers are trained in the methods of the Oral History Society. We are re-running this training for interviewers on the afternoon of Tuesday 3rd March in a central location. The training will cover the importance of oral history; the achievement and values of the SFA’s Oral History Project; and the skills and techniques needed before, during and after the interviews. The session is free although a donation for refreshments is requested. Places are strictly limited so if you would like to attend please email us at sheffieldfeministarchive@gmail.com.
Working with the Ashiana Project
We are currently working with Ashiana Sheffield, who provide advocacy, refuge, group work and other forms of support to Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee (BAMER) women. In order to provide BAMER women with a platform to let their voices be heard, their stories told and preserved in Sheffield Archives, an SFA interviewer is interviewing some ex-clients of Ashiana about their experiences. The interviews are recorded and summarised, and stored at Sheffield Archives as Tales from Ashiana within the Sheffield Feminist Archive. It is hoped that we will be able to hold a joint event with Ashiana during Black History Month in October.