Ebbsfleet Citizen Archive is a community-led project by Cement Fields capturing and preserving the varied stories and histories of the people and places of Ebbsfleet, Greenhithe, Swanscombe, and Northfleet, as the area goes through a significant moment of change.
Co-created by artists, historians and residents, the archive brings local people together to explore Ebbsfleet’s unique historic and contemporary identity through objects, sounds, videos and photographs, collected by and from residents past, present and future. All the materials collated throughout the project will be brought together to form a living Citizen Archive, accessible at ebbsfleetcitizenarchive.org.
At the core of the project, a team of volunteer Citizen Archivists visited the local archives and learned the practical and creative skills needed to create an archive for the whole community. A series of creative workshops, walks and events presented different creative approaches to archiving, enabling everybody to get involved and add their voice to the archive.
Artist Lu Williams worked with local people to create a new guide to the area: Ebbsfleet Citizens Handbook. Pick up your free Handbook from Gravesend Library and Dartford Museum and Library. An online copy can be downloaded here. Local historian Christoph Bull led a series of guided heritage walks. Harun Morrison created River Reflections, an audio work embedded in a listening bench on Northfleet riverside. Together with Cherry Orchard Academy students, Sahra Hersi made Wayfinding To Our Memories, a 3D memory wayfinder for Castle Hill. Walk Tall and Andy Field devised and directed a performance with local young people inspired by memories recorded for the Archive. Gravesend photographer Mbeke Waseme created Ndini (This Is Me), a series of photographs and stories of people who moved to the area over the last four decades. Memories were captured on film by Charlotte Ginsborg and audio by Hannah Kemp-Welch. Photography workshops were supported by Simon Martin.
Find out more about all the projects below.
Ebbsfleet Citizen Archive is made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and supported using public funding by Arts Council England. With additional support from Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, Gravesham Libraries, Dartford Museum and Libraries, and Kent Archives. River Reflections have been additionally supported by Bellway.
Projects
All the materials gathered through the project can be now be accessed via ebbsfleetcitizenarchive.org, where you can also upload your own contributions.
Join our team of volunteer Citizen Archivists and work closely with artists, historians, and archivists to explore the people, stories and histories of the area and learn the practical and creative skills needed to create an archive for the whole community.
Email us at info@cementfields.org if you’d like to get involved.
If you’d like to find out more about the project and hear about ways to get involved, join our mailing list and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
