Free Heritage Training Opportunities

NORCA (Norwich & Norfolk Community Arts) are offering some great training opportunities for adults in all things heritage and carnival! Whether you have been a volunteer with the Carnival Archive project or not you can take part in the training! No experience is necessary – only enthusiasm, an open mind and an aptitude for fun is needed!

An Introduction to Oral History Training with Rib Davis, a British Library/Oral History Soc. -accredited trainer, Saturday 23^rd March, 10am – 4.30pm

An informal and practical introduction to oral history interviewing with an opportunity to handle recording equipment and discuss some of the issues around oral history, life stories and memory.

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Creative Interpretation with Art of the Ordinary, Thursday 4^th April 10am – 3pm

Using the images and inspiration from the Carnival Archive, Art of the Ordinary will show you how to make beautiful art work to take away with you.

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Lives in Focus: Recording oral history interviews on video with Roger Kitchen, a British Library/Oral History Soc. -accredited trainer, Monday 8th April, 10 – 4.30pm

An introduction to the principles and techniques of recording, editing and distributing oral history on video. It is aimed at those with little or no experience and it will take participants through the advantages and disadvantages of video over audio recordings, give practical advice on recording techniques, and offer guidance on suitable equipment.

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Transcript to Script: Turning oral history into plays for stage and radio with Rib Davis, a British Library/Oral History Soc. -accredited trainer, Thursday 18^th April, 10am – 4.30pm

This will cover a brief history of the genre and an overview of the various forms which oral history can take. It will look at the creation of a set of fictional characters using dialogue, the use of oral history as research material for scripting, and improvisation around memory without transcript.

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Documenting an Event Training with Insight Media, Friday 19^th April, 10am – 3pm.

An introduction to capturing and archiving events in film, pictures and sound, from setting up on site, to interviewing techniques, and from how to frame photographs to dealing with the unexpected! Theory and practical hands on experience.

 No equipment needed (but please feel free to bring your own cameras if you prefer)

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Creative Interpretation with Dean Parkin, Performance Poet, Wednesday 24^th April, 10am – 1pm

Using the images from the archive, Dean will help you write amazing poems. This training is a must for both those who love poetry and for those who think that poetry isn’t for them! –be pleasantly surprised as Dean coaxes wonderful words from you in a fun and supportive way!

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Documenting an Event Training with Insight Media, Friday 26^th April, 10am – 3pm.

An introduction to capturing and archiving events in film, pictures and sound, from setting up on site, to interviewing techniques, and from how to frame photographs to dealing with the unexpected! Theory and practical hands on experience.

No equipment needed (but please feel free to bring your own cameras if you prefer)

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All training days are free and will take place at the NORCA office, 21, Colegate, Norwich, NR3 1BN.

Please note: places on the training days must be booked in advance.  To book contact Cathie Davies on 01603 760529 or cathie@norcaarts.co.uk

Teas, coffees will be provided, please bring your own lunch. No parking available.  Disabled access available by arrangement (please call us).

Picture Norfolk Talk - The Photography of William Henry Finch & Family

Club members: on Tuesday 19th March, Clare Everitt from Picture Norfolk will be introducing us to the work of nineteenth century Norfolk photographer, William Henry Finch and his family. As many of you will recall, Clare gave us a fascinating introduction to the Picture Norfolk collection earlier in the year (see Sarah's summary HERE). She is back due to popular request!

Please note: due to the popularity of our club we are now starting a waiting list. If you wish to be added to the Norwich Community History Club's waiting list, then please contact me on colin.howey@norfolk.gov.uk 

Free Introduction to Family History - Norfolk Heritage Centre

The dates for the next available free introduction to family history sessions in the Millennium Library are in April (Tuesdays):

Part 1: 23 April 17.30pm-19.30pm

Part 2: 30 April 17.30pm-19.30pm

This mini-course will provide you with the basics of researching your family tree and will focus on the key building blocks of civil registration and census returns. Each session includes an introductory presentation and an Internet workshop, where you will learn how to use the ‘Ancestry’ website for family history research.

For more information and to book a place please contact the Norfolk Heritage Centre on (01603) 774740 or email (norfolk.studies.lib@norfolk.gov.uk). All sessions take place on the Second Floor of the Millennium Library.

We Have A Facebook Page...

Hey, we've got a Facebook group now as well! If you're a Facebook member, click on the following link and join up:

NCHC Facebook Group

Visiting the Norwich Bridewell Museum

Thirty members of the Norwich Community History Club visited the Norwich Bridewell Museum on Tuesday. We were made to feel very welcome and our thanks go to the staff for making this visit possible. Given the size of the group we decided that it was best to leave people to explore the museum for themselves. I made myself available in the 'House of Correction' display area to talk to people who had missed my talk the previous week about this aspect of the site's history.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get any proper feedback from the members on the day, but one thing I did pick up was the surprise a number of people felt at just how large the museum is. The phrase, "tardis like" was used more than once. As you can see from the photograph above, a number of the group were attracted to gather around the maps and a long discussion ensued between them about the changing topography of the city. I have to say, I learned something new from this myself. I had no idea that Norwich once had two dog tracks (a shame they've gone - I'd have enjoyed an evening at the dogs!).

Next week we'll be gathering at the usual time and place in Marzanos Cafe, before walking to St Andrews Hall/Blackfriars with the wonderful Roxanne Matthews, who will lead an exploration of this fabulous site. I wish I could be there for this one myself, but I'm booked up to talk to another group that morning. I look forward to hearing all about it from the other members.

Colin

Please note: the club is now so popular that we are now at full capacity. However, if you are interested in becoming a member of the Norwich Community History Club, please contact me (Colin on colin.howey@norfolk.gov.uk) and I will add you to the waiting list. 

And finally...

Time travellers from the Eighteenth century!

Disorderly Lives: Norwich 1570-1620

Please click on image in order to enlarge

The above record is taken from the early 17th century Norwich Mayor Court records. It describes an incident whereby a woman called Margaret Caly insulted a man, "and often tymes clap[p]ed her hand on her backside and badd him kisse there." At last Tuesdays gathering of Norwich Community History Club members I opened my talk by quoting this case, before going on to explore some of the challenges facing Norwich's civic authorities as they sought to maintain order during the fifty years following the Norwich Census of the Poor in 1570. I hope I managed to convey some of the wider context behind local events. In particular, it was my intention to place the Norwich House of Correction (Bridewell) in its place as part of a whole series of initiatives and innovations by the authorities as they sought to maintain 'good' order as they perceived it. I also wanted to provide some background to members for next weeks visit to the wonderful Norwich Bridewell Museum - a former House of Correction.