This year-long project, which took place over 2016/17, celebrates and records stories from the Hoo Peninsula in North Kent.
Local people were invited to have their memories and stories of working on the Hoo Peninsula recorded for the future.
Volunteers from the local area received free professional training from experts in oral history and photography then spent a year conducting broadcast quality audio recordings documenting the trades and industries of this little known place. They have captured stories of bargemen, muddies, salt shepherds, farmers, shop owners and bird wardens as well as those who have worked in industries dependent on the river such as the power stations and the container terminal.
These recordings will be permanently placed at the Medway Archives & History Centre and will be made available to the public through a permanently held public collection for visitors and users to access.
The project culminated with an exhibition at Hoo Village Library in July 2017. Excerpts from the interviews, a downloadable podcast and teachers pack, as well as photographs, archival documents, a specially commissioned essay, documentation of the school workshops and other information about the project is available on this website.
Histories of the Hoo Peninsula is a Whitstable Biennale project. We would like to thank The Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England, and Hoo and Grain Libraries for their support.
For further information please contact
info@hoo-peninsula.com