About this project
This project was the inspiration of Ladders, a volunteeer-run, creative arts community organisation that works with young people in Leyton. Find out more about Ladders at www.laddersforyoungpeople.org.uk
A group of young people aged 11 to 15 from George Mitchell School were trained in the art of oral history interviewing by the Ladders team. The young people devised the questions and carried out the interviews. The responses by our twelve adult interviewees provide the rich materials recorded in the video clips that now form the learning materials on this website. You can view or download the questions devised for the interviews here.
Once the interviews were complete the group of young people worked with drama and dance coaches to develop the personal stories they had uncovered to produced a drama performance and a collection of poetry.
Click here to view excepts of the drama performance
The resulting work has now joined the oral history archive at Vestry House Museum in Walthamstow.
The project aims to, offer an insight into what migration means for those who experience it and changes for comminties like Leyton that become the new home for migrants.
The interview videos have been developed into a teaching programme for anyone wishing to use first-hand evidence as a learning source. We hope that this work can be a valuable resource for teachers at any school.
Who was involved in the project
Parul Motin - as project leader she managed the team, recruited the young people who became the interveiwers and persuaded the members of the local community to tell us their stories. Parul is an experienced community youth project worker and teacher.
Martin Spafford - (history consultant) provided the training and advice to the project and wrote the teaching materials. He taught history at George Mitchell School in Leyton for 23 years and helped run many community projects with local young people, several of which involved oral history. He is co-author of GCSE textbooks on migration to Britain and a member of the education committee of the Migration Museum Project. He regularly runs training workshops for teachers for the Schools History Project, Historical Association and UCL Institute of Education.Hugh Meteyard - undertook all the videoing and editing of the interviews for the project. He ran the Media Centre in Waltham Forest for 28 years during which time he worked with most, if not all, the schools in Waltham Forest. He now provides video services on a freelance basis.
Selina Jeremiah - worked with the young people to develop the drama and performance for the project. Selina is a regular drama tutor and project leader for Ladders projects.
Sharon Foster - currated the exhibition for the launch at Vestry House Museum. Sharon is a community artist and regular ladders creative arts tutor.
Jasmine Smith - controlled the budget. Jasmine is the Hon. Treasurer of Ladders - a tireless Ladders volunteer
Colin Whitehead - produced the website. Colin is an educational consultant and retired Headteacher.