Opening Up the Archive

This interactive workshop invites you to explore the power of archives, especially those rooted in Black cultural institutions and how they might shape inclusive, open, community-engaged research.

Together, we’ll challenge traditional ideas of what an archive is, who holds it, and how stories are told and by who. Through conversation, creativity, and reflection, we’ll explore the concept of living, shifting, sacred and intangible archives, recognising that each person carries knowledge, memory, and history.

What’s Included:

• Welcome & introduction

• Guided tour of Fairfield House

• Vegan lunch provided

• Collaborative zine-making session

Why Attend?

• Reflect on the role of archives in shaping knowledge and identity.

• Challenge traditional notions of who gets to tell stories.

• Contribute to a co-created zine that captures the intangible - how we feel, remember, and move through history.

• Connect with others interested in open research and community storytelling.

Who Should Attend:
This event is open to all and designed to be welcoming, creative, and thought-provoking. Whether you’re an artist, activist, or simply curious, about storytelling, history, and inclusive knowledge-making. your voice and story are valued. This event is free but booking is essential.

Output:
A co-created zine capturing the intangible—how we feel, remember, and move through history, what stories we share and what we keep to ourselves. This will be shared (with consent) as a digital archive of the day.

Accessibility:
Please contact us with any access needs. We aim to make this event as inclusive and welcoming as possible.

This project brings together national expertise and local heritage, positioning Bath as a site of radical inclusion, critical reflection, and research integrity in action and a collaboration between University of Bath Public Engagement Unit and Fairfield House.

Professor Shawn Sobers is a Professor in Cultural Interdisciplinary Practice at UWE Bristol and a Trustee of Fairfield House; founded to protect and celebrate the legacy to Bath of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I. Shawn has an intimate knowledge of the history of Fairfield House in Bath, Haile Selassie, and its relationship with Black people in Bath.

Dr Parise Carmichael-Murphy is a Lecturer in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Arden University and Associate of the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre & Education Trust; a specialist open-access library and archive, focusing on the study of race, migration and thinking about race, anti-racist activism and the fight for social justice. Parise is committed to celebrating the legacy of Black radicals in Manchester and Black heritage in the city today.

Image credit - Erol Ahmed. Unsplashed.