The Essential Archive?Developing Audience Diversity at the UK National Archives

Head of Education & Outreach

The National Archives

Andrew Payne

Is this the most boring page on the

World Wide Web?

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/our-role.htm

The National Archives is… Essential/Boring?

• Government Department

• Executive Agency

• Ministry of Justice

• Office of Public Sector Information

• Her Majesty’s Stationery Office

• Historic Manuscripts Commissioner

• Government’s National Archive

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Boring

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Is the world’s greatest archive really

Boring13 ?

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The National Archives’ Public Task

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Our responsibility is

for the government record, its past and future, its use and re-use,

authentic, available and accessible to all

Archives have the power to make us think!

Education & Outreach’s Public Task

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To make people say

WOW!Hmmmm – this isn’t what I expected…

How can we be Essential

and not simply Boring13?

Step 1 – Build a Global Empire

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Step 2 – Photograph It

“Governors to arrange for the taking of photographs of noteworthy buildings and scenery … together with individuals of various races peculiar to the colony.”

Right Honourable 2nd Earl Granville Secretary of State for the Colonies

1859

Step 3 – Repeat Step 2 for 120 years to create 35,000 images from around the globe

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Step 4 – Deposit in The National Archives

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Step 5 – Add to Flickr and issue a press releasewww.flickr.com/photos/nationalarchives/collections/72157632921688592/

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Africa Through a Lens www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/africa

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Mass Media coverage in February 2011 drove 750,000 views

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Does a million views on Flickr really make

you Essential?

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How do you become really ‘Essential’?

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The Essential Museum

“If satisfying the user’s internalized questions became the main mission of the museum, it might then become ‘essential’.”

Elaine Hermann GurianThe Essential Museum

2006

Caribbean Through a Lens www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/caribbean

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‘A Characteristic Group’Bahamas, Nassau 1890 CO1069/234: 49

Georgetown Riots‘Procession of people demonstrating in High Street, Georgetown’.CO 1069/363/1&2

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Caribbean Through a Lens www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/caribbean

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St Mungo’s – Homeless Women’s Group

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Kingsway Project – Community Exhibition

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Cuming Museum – Intergenerational Project

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Haringey Project - Inspiring Caribbean Memories

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A step towards the Essential Archive?

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Andrew PayneHead of EducationThe National Archives

andrew.payne@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk

020 8392 5319

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education