Listen to BBC Radio Devon's interview with Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots Project Coordinator Hilda Kalap as to why this multicultural history project is so relevant today. ...
Exploring the rich multicultural history of Devon.
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About us
About us
Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots is a community heritage and oral history project focused on diverse and multicultural histories. It explores the stories, memories and hidden histories of Devon’s towns and cities – past and present.
Through building an archive of oral history interviews, Telling Our Stories aims to preserve, share and celebrate the voices, stories and heritage of the wide range of people who live in Devon today, ensuring that the voices we listen to today and in the future are more diverse and more inclusive than the ones we’ve heard before.
To date, the project has gathered histories and contemporary stories from 3 towns and 1 city: Exeter (2012-13), Bideford (2020), Okehampton (2020) and Tiverton (2020).
The project is community-led and community-powered, supported throughout by teams of local volunteers, and featuring the voices and contributions of many community participants.
Telling Our Stories is a Devon Development Education project, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Public-facing activity has been made possible thanks to heritage partners Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life, The Museum of Dartmoor Life, The Burton at Bideford, and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum (2012 – 2013).
Our locations
Our locations
Telling Our Stories has engaged with 3 towns and 1 city across Mid and North Devon.
We have worked in Exeter (2012 – 2013); Bideford (2019 – 2020), Okehampton (2019 – 2020) and Tiverton (2019 – 2020).
These towns and cities are each very different. Exeter is the county’s capital; Tiverton is a centre of industry / manufacturing; Bideford is a port town; and Okehampton is an agricultural market town on the edge of Dartmoor.
Latest project news
Latest project news
The power of storytelling lies at the heart of Devon multicultural history project
Saturday (27th) marks the start of annual National Storytelling Week, a joyful celebration of the power of sharing stories. Hilda Kalap, Project Coordinator of Devon’s multicultural history project Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots,...
Martin Luther King Jnr Day reminder that our common humanity transcends colour
As the world marks Martin Luther King Jnr Day today (15th) it’s a reminder of his unifying message that our common humanity transcends other factors such as colour, religion, race and caste. The famous US human rights and social justice leader advocated for peaceful...
Sun, hail, a live radio interview, and a fascinating walk though Exeter’s multicultural past
Friday 23rd February Blessed with more sun than rain (and only a touch of hail) volunteers from the latest chapter of Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots - joined by a multi-generational group of local people - took a stroll through Exeter's multicultural past this...
A BETTER WORLD THROUGH STORYTELLING – our Honiton team meets up to share emerging stories
Our growing team of Honiton volunteers met last week to share emerging stories. In a precarious world there is a sense that the project offers some peace and contentment. That in some small way it helps to make a better world; something that sounds ambitious but is...
Latest blog posts
Latest blog posts
Getting Started – a new chapter of Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots kicks off in Honiton and Ilfracombe
Diving in and hitting the ground running has been the theme of the past few weeks, as the Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots project has kicked off in both Honiton and Ilfracombe, focusing on uncovering and rediscovering hidden multicultural accounts within each...
Fordland Sketches
A collection of sketches from the Devon Record Office, made by J Harris in 1823 and 1824 (ref no Z19/2/4) Number 8: 'Mr White A Black Beggar' is of special interest to this project - nothing else is known of him. Photographs by Ghee Bowman, with acknowledgements to...
Tucker’s Sketches
From Devon Record Office, a collection of 'Portraits of Devonshire Characters' by an artist called Tucker. Dated 1870-1873. Number 3 carries the caption "Miss ______ Daughter of an English Merchant in West Africa sent to England to be educated", with the (probably...
Ilfracombe – hunting for clues, uncovering stories and falling down a rabbit hole (or three)…
Down the Rabbit Hole Events are being organised, volunteers are signing up and the wheels are starting to turn! Not only are we setting up the logistical side of the project for the year to come - organising launch events, setting up archival and interview training...
Honiton – a place of rest and refuge over the centuries
What Multicultural History? by Jess Huffman, Project Coordinator (Honiton), Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots I really enjoy talking to people about the Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots Project. Discussing project opportunities to explore diverse and...