Volunteer View: BPHA’s Heritage Week open day

Heritage Week 2023 saw Birmingham People’s History Archive welcome visitors to a tour of the collection, as well as a presentation on Birmingham’s connections to the Spanish Civil War and an exhibition of our outreach work with the community. Read on for our volunteers’ reflections on the day, with images from our in-house photographer, Richard O’Neill.

Gurpreet

This past Saturday was the culmination of an entire year’s worth of service and collaboration. As part of Birmingham heritage week, the BPHA opened its doors to the public and showcased what makes this space truly one of a kind.

I enjoyed interacting with past interviewees, who were invited as special guests. We got to show them how their life experiences have been incorporated into the archive’s collections and been used in school programs. Their contributions will ensure that the experiences of working-class brummies will be preserved for future generations.

It was great to engage with the public and share the BPHA’s unique collection. The exhibitions were lively, interactive, and educational. Everyone in attendance whom I engaged with found the day’s events to be both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Finally, it has been incredible to witness how this small grassroots operation has grown. The volunteers and archivists at the BPHA have been working hard to organize what is a diverse and ever-growing collection of materials. The space has never looked better. It is a great place to spend the day.

As someone living abroad, I feel that this is a space where I can feel welcomed and valued. The people who run and operate the BPHA are some of the most genuine and kind-hearted people I have met since moving to the UK. I highly recommend taking the time to experience what the archive has to offer if you have not done so already!

Isaac

After artwork and information boards were displayed, we welcomed visitors on arrival, providing details about the exhibition and support for activities. It was enjoyable to speak with guests, listen to their stories, learn about personal experiences, share knowledge about Birmingham’s cultural history; and one of the finest moments of the day was when we all sang together for the costumed presentation.

Carolina

The opportunity to join and assist BPHA during Heritage Week was a fantastic experience. I had the chance to conduct research on the Spanish Civil War (1936-39), a topic I’ve been interested in since my undergraduate studies and my year abroad in Spain.

During the event, I role played a far-left Trotskyist, a member of the POUM. In my presentation, I focused on explaining what this group was and what it looked like in 1937.

I also recited the moving poem by Dolores Ibárruri Gómez, ‘No pasarán’, in Spanish, allowing our guests to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the Spanish Civil War. We provided the visitors with translated versions so that they could understand the speech itself.

I’m happy that I could also learn interesting facts about Birmingham residents who participated in the Spanish Civil War and discover that the remains of some fighters are still being discovered and identified in Spain.

I think that this brief and engaging presentation by us, three volunteers (including myself), combined with the re-enactment of the fashion of that era, was the most captivating part of the day!