Ebbsfleet Citizens Archive is a community-led project 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 dual digital and physical archive will bring 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.
At the core of the project, a team of volunteer Citizen Archivists will 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.
A series of artist-led workshops, walks and events will also explore different creative approaches to archiving, enabling everybody to get involved and add their voice to the archive. Artist Lu Williams will work with local people to create an Ebbsfleet Citizen Handbook, and local historian Christoph Bull will lead a series of walks exploring the history of different landscape and communities in the area.
All the materials collated throughout the project will be brought together to form a living Citizen Archive. Accessible to all, the archive will hold a wide range of stories and histories from the people and places that make Ebbsfleet, Greenhithe, Swanscombe, and Northfleet.
Ebbsfleet Citizen Archive is made possible with 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.
Projects
Join us on Saturday 8 June, 14:00-18:00 at Northfleet Veterans Club to celebrate the culmination of the Ebbsfleet Citizen Archive and the launch the new online archive.
You will also be able to:
→ Meet local historian Christoph Bull and our creative archivists Lu Williams, Harun Morrison & Charlotte Ginsborg.
→ Pick up your free copy of the Ebbsfleet Citizen Handbook – a new guide to the area created by Lu Williams together with local residents.
→ See a performance devised and performed by local young people inspired by local memories, directed by Walk Tall and Andy Field – at 2:30pm and repeated at 4:30pm.
→ Watch Charlotte Ginsborg’s film Our future, our past, whisper it to me, created in collaboration with 12 local residents from two different generations – on a loop throughout the day.
→ Pick up the new publication designed to accompanying the film for free.
→ Learn about the Ebbsfleet Citizen Archive listening bench – an audio project created by Harun Morrison.
→ Take artist Adam Chodzko’s audio-guided walk in and around Northfleet. Book now
More details to be announced soon
Explore the local area on a heritage walk with historian Christoph Bull and learn more about the histories of Greenhithe, Swanscombe Church and Rosherville Pleasure Gardens.
→ Ebbsfleet Citizen Archive Walk 10: Rosherville Pleasure Gardens
Saturday 11 May, 13:00 – 16:00
Book now
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.
