● Know Your Bristol

Know Your Bristol enabled people to explore, research and map Bristol’s history, heritage and culture using digital tools co­-developed with participants. This film gives a feel for what the project was like and what mattered to participants, academics included:

● Map Your Bristol

A key output from Know Your Bristol is the participatory history mapping website and app Map Your Bristol, co-­developed by University of Bristol Research IT, the Know Your Bristol team and students from St Mary Redcliffe and Temple and St Katherine’s Schools. On the site or using the app, community groups can create a layer and upload stories, images, and audio and video material relating to their history. Currently you will find layers on the history of Bristol’s Anti-­Apartheid Movement, Deaf Community and music culture as well as neighbourhood-specific histories including those for Greenbank and Knowle West. Watch the film, download the app or visit the website to start exploring and co-­creating our history:

 Here’s what some of our partners have to say about the project:

“So many students don’t appreciate that they are history and their families are significant; that history isn’t just about people who they consider to be famous, [and that] their human achievement is worth recognising.” M.L., History teacher, St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School

“Quite often you don’t take the time to consider who you are and where you’ve come from. This project has helped them do that and that’s really important.” S.S., English teacher, St Katherine’s School

“I think it’s vital, because I think our history is vital. In Knowle West I have seen massive changes in my time; even accents are changing. […] I just think it’s nice to know where we’ve come from and where we’re at and it helps us to know where we want to go in our future.” C.M., Knowle West resident

“As a Bristolian, born and bred, I worked for nearly 28 years as an AA Patrol in and around Bristol, so I built up a pretty wide knowledge of the city and its buildings and locations. I also worked in the city centre for four years in the 1960s, when the city docks were still operational, so I was able to build on that knowledge. I have enjoyed being able to pass on what I know, and I have learnt quite a lot [about] myself in the process of doing the research.” M.P., Vaughan Postcards Project volunteer

“I’ve always been interested in history and I value what older people are saying and learning about where I live, but it’s easily lost because we always think somebody else is collecting it or somebody else is doing it.” T.M., Greenbank resident

“I learnt a lot about the recording side of media […], but also the historical musical background that Bristol has. This was a fun experience; learning about the heritage of Caribbean music within Bristol and how it’s influenced festivals like St Pauls and communities across the city. [...] I like how the project was a part of Bristol University as that is the university that I would like to attend when I finish 6th form. C.W., Year 12 student, Merchants’ Academy

“I thought that it would be more academic because it’s the University of Bristol, I just associate it with being things like the teacher saying things like ‘read this narrative and then we’re gonna critically analyse it in class’ that kind of thing, but this course is actually more interactive.” A., East Bristol resident

Find out more about the practicalities of the project.