WORK Records brings together artists, historians, curators, volunteers and workers to explore historic working lives through archives.
The project will explore the holdings of 3 heritage collections – our Derbyshire Record Office, Corby Heritage Centre and John Smedley Archive – and discover what they can tell us about working lives at 3 family firms: John Smedley at Lea Mills, packaging firm Robinson and Sons in Chesterfield, and steel manufacturer Stewarts & Lloyds Ltd in Corby.
Artists will make short films that animate these important, untold stories of the significance, ideas, realities, and contemporary resonance of regional family firms, bringing heritage stories to life in an accessible and engaging way.
The films will be the catalyst for live and online events connecting contemporary workers and families with their historic counterparts. An online resource will document the project and host discoveries, increasing access to the collections, demonstrating the importance of heritage and how it resonates with how we live today.
Alongside the archive collections, Animate is working with arts organisations Junction Arts in Chesterfield and Fermynwoods Contemporary Art in Northamptonshire, the history team at the University of Derby and Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.
Derby-based Animate Projects has been awarded a £147,170 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to deliver WORK Records.
Our Cabinet Member for Health and Communities Councillor Dawn Abbott said:
“This wonderful project will bring working history to life for a modern audience. It will be fascinating to see how discoveries made about working in the past will speak to the people of today.”
Volunteer opportunity in Derbyshire
Animate Projects is looking for 2 volunteer researchers to join the project team and artist as they delve into the Robinson and Sons Ltd archive held at our Derbyshire Record Office to uncover hidden stories about the family firm and its connections to the local community.
Anyone who is passionate about heritage and the visual arts, and would like to contribute to an exciting volunteer opportunity, should visit Animate Projects’ website to find out more and apply (deadline Sunday 17 August 2025).
Councillor Abbott added:
“This is a fantastic opportunity for fans of history and heritage to apply to volunteer and play a part in bringing these important archives to the attention of more people.”