Democratising Archives

Active, evolving, and built collaboratively.

Democratising Archives explores and reimagines how communities can access, engage with, and create their own archives. Rooted in principles of co-creation, equity, and community empowerment, Democratising Archives challenges traditional models of archival practice; using creative approaches, oral histories, everyday items, and lived experiences as 'ways in' to share and collect memories, heritage, and stories.

The result is this online, truly community-led archive and associated artworks.

With special thanks to the communities of Efford, St. Jude's, and Whitleigh.

Partners:

• The 4 Greens Community Trust
• The Box
• The East End Development Trust
• Efford Cemetery
• Efford Library
• High View Crazy Glue
• High View School
• Maker Memories
• Manor Court Care Home
• National Trust Saltram
• Plymouth Community Builders
• Salisbury Road Crazy Glue
• Salisbury Road Primary School
• Salvation Army, Whitleigh
• St Chads Church, Plymouth
• St Judes Church, Plymouth
• The Little Cafe, Tothill Park
• The Plymouth LGTBQ+ Archive
• Timebank South West
• Whitleigh Community Primary School
• Whitleigh Community Trust
• Whitleigh Crazy Glue

Credits:

Lead Creative Heritage Facilitators:

• Beth Emily Richards
• Tom Goddard



Celebration Event Artists

• Far Flung Dance Theatre



Online Archive Artist & Developer:

• Molly McCarthy



Physical 3D Story Dice:

• Fab Lab South West



Take A Part Head of Communities Programme & Lead Producer:

• Gem Smith



Assistant Producer:

• Shelley Hodgson



Evaluation:

• Lizzie Hilton

About the Learning Academies Trust

The Learning Academies Trust (LAT) is an 18-school primary Multi Academy Trust based in Plymouth, educating nearly 5,500 children. Founded in 2016, LAT focuses on collaboration, school improvement, and teacher development.

About Take A Part

Take A Part is a leading socially engaged art (SEA) organisation, dedicated to supporting, developing and sustaining practices around community co-creation, cultural democracy and community-first approaches to placemaking in the UK.

Welcome to the Democratising Archives community archive, a space that brings together the stories, memories, and heritage of Efford, St Judes, and Whitleigh in Plymouth.

The Archive

You can browse the full collection of archive items, including audio recordings, films, images, and texts, by visiting the Archive page. Use the filters and search bar to find items by community, theme, media format, or keyword.

The Community Rooms

Each community has its own creative room, co-designed with an artist to reflect their neighbourhood in whimsical and playful ways. From the home page, click on a door to enter a community room.

Inside each room you will find interactive icons placed around the scene. Click on them to discover:

• Film - Watch the achive films produced by each community.
• Audio - Listen to oral histories, interviews, and sound recordings.
• Story Dice - Roll the dice to generate stories!

Submit to the Archive

This is a living archive. If you have a story, recording, photograph, or object connected to Efford, St Judes, or Whitleigh, you can submit it via the Submit page. Your contributions help keep these community stories alive.