Over 1.5 years, the £83,720 investment will enable the production of an oral and visual digital archive of valuable local heritage to ensure that it is not lost over time.
The project will enable the purchasing of equipment and the facilitation of training workshops with local groups and individuals resulting in the production of eight audio/video podcasts and additional interviews with the groups participating. The podcasts will document life in the Sperrins and will include Women in Sport, Scouting, Traditional Music, LBGTQ community, Farming, Motorsport, Horse Racing and a special interview with lifelong friends from the Magherafelt Road. The project will also involve the exploration of old songs written about the parish and an end of project celebratory event open to the wider public.
The groups involved will get the opportunity to undertake training in the meaning of heritage, research, audio & video production, interview skills, recording, editing, publishing and marketing enabling the production of podcasts that will capture the tangible and intangible cultural oral heritage of the Ballinascreen parish, linking our past, through the present, with our future.
Glasgowbury Chairman, Emmet Heron, said: “It’s fantastic to get the opportunity to work and capture the heritage of these incredible rural based groups. Podcasting is the perfect modern medium to use to log, record, and film for future archives of the area and for future generations to hear and see the changing face of a rural town and its people and community. Massive thanks to The National lottery Heritage Fund who believed in and supported the project and National Lottery players who make this type of investment possible”.
Dr Paul Mullan, Director, Northern Ireland at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said, “We are thrilled to support Glasgowbury in exploring and preserving their local heritage. The Voices from the Sperrins project will strengthen the community by giving local people and anyone with an interest in the area a better understanding of its heritage and history.
Heritage is a great way of bringing people together, creating a sense of pride of place and uncovering fascinating local stories. The training offered to participants as part of this project is a great opportunity to learn and put into practice new skills, we wish the team every success in the project and look forward to experiencing the audio and visual content it creates”
The first podcast of the series, ‘Heritage of the Magherafelt Road’, is available to view on Glasgowbury’s YouTube channel or download on the podcast platform of choice, Spotify, Apple, Podbean.
For future episodes, subscribe to Glasgowbury YouTube channel for notifications, keep an eye on Glasgowbury’s socials or keep your ear to the ground and listen for the Voices from the Sperrins!
