Shoreham's rich history brought to life by student video project

A year long project aimed at making the rich history of Shoreham more accessible to young people came to a celebratory close with a launch party in December.
At the launch of the Visualising History in Shoreham projectAt the launch of the Visualising History in Shoreham project
At the launch of the Visualising History in Shoreham project

The Visualising History in Shoreham project, run by the youth charity Esteem thanks to funding from The Heritage Lottery, saw ten schoolchildren aged eight to 16 create a website and video showcasing Shoreham’s history.

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Around 30 people came to watch the young people present the multimedia project at Shoreham Academy in December.

At the launch of the Visualising History in Shoreham projectAt the launch of the Visualising History in Shoreham project
At the launch of the Visualising History in Shoreham project
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The students created oral histories of Shoreham by videoing interviews with residents about their memories of growing up or working in the town.

‘Working with the Marlipins Museum in the High Street, the students recorded clips of themselves explaining the stories behind different artefacts in the town – from a Seaman’s ticket to an 18th century ‘cap lock’ pistol.

Creating the videos gave the students an opportunity to improve their presenting skills, while building the website helped them learn more about technology.

Cat Vizor, chief officer for Esteem, said the students who got involved all had an interest in an aspect of website design, photography or journalism.

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She said of the participants: “You could see the difference from the beginning to the end in their confidence and the way they got involved.

“They started off as tentative and shy, and by the end they were giving speeches.

“They really took it on themselves, it was really led by the young people and they made it their own.

“They were buzzing about it, saying that they really enjoyed going to all the sites in the town.

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“Their parents came to the launch show and were so proud of them.”

An installation showing the video and website will be available to view at the Marlipins Museum from January 15.

View the website at www.esteem.org.uk/vhs