Oral Histories

What to consider

Oral History is the recording of personal spoken memories and is a fantastic way to understand our shared histories, what people have experienced in the past, and how that made them feel. 

Oral history recordings are a unique and valuable window into the past. However, there are a few things you need to think about before starting an oral history project. This includes:

• who you speak to and how you structure your interview

• how you record the interview - what format is best, how will you make sure the recording is high enough quality to be used in the future?

• copyright and data protection - what is going to happen to the recording when you’ve finished? How will your recording be safely stored in the long-term, who owns the legal copyright, and what are you allowed to do with the recording? 

Guidance for projects

Luckily, there is lots of really good information out there that will help you when you’re planning your project. The Oral History Society supports oral history work across the UK, including offering advice and training, and their website has lots of free advice. 

Read the Oral History Societ's guide to getting started: For beginners - Oral History Society

Support available

Our Heritage, Our Stories is supporting local groups to start thinking about collecting oral histories from their communities. We’re happy to chat to you about your project. We also have a small amount of recording equipment that we may be able to lend to community groups. Please contact us for more information at heritage@wakefield.gov.uk.

Oral history archives

Wakefield Museums and Castles and the West Yorkshire Archive Service both collect oral histories. They have specific criteria for the recordings they collect and a formal acquisitions process. They will usually request that copyright is assigned to them, so that they can manage the recordings properly in the future. Please contact them in advance if you are considering offering any recordings to their collections.