Are you a young person who would like to get hands-on with professional recording equipment and learn about video and audio production?
A new oral history project has been launched to not only record historical memories for posterity, but also to bring older and younger generations together.
Forres Local has been awarded funding to acquire equipment that can be used on location to make recordings of memories from the older generation. And in a twist to make it more entertaining and educational, the project will seek to build a panel of young people who are interested in audio and video recording.
Under the working title Remembering Forres, we are looking to hear from older people (over 60), willing to be interviewed by the younger generations about their memories of growing up and living in the area.
We’ll be inviting youngsters from 13 to 25 to conduct the interviews and learn to use the equipment and software. Under 18s will need permission from a parent or guardian.
Project lead Marc Hindley said: “There are two untapped resources here. The enormous ‘back catalogue’ of memories held in the heads of the older generation, and the zest and knoweldge that younger people have in modern devices.
“Thanks to the Newbold Legacy Trust, we have been able to acquire professional recording equipment for this project, and we will use it to preserve memories of people who live here.
“I believe they are massively untapped because the older generation rarely get to talk about their memories with anyone other than their peers, and young rarely get the opportunity to create content for the public to consume.
“We’re killing two birds with one stone, and creating a spin-off bonus that these memories will be recorded forever. There are very few recorded real-life stories from previous generations out there in the ‘content cloud’ that’s increasing in size every year.”
“As well as the memories being recorded, we’re hoping the project will bring the generations closer, by forming a bond and even an understanding of the upbringing each has experienced. The youngsters will be encouraged to compare their lives and the current options they have.”
The equipment is mobile, so we aren’t tied to a location which means we can take it out to various locations across Moray
Interested parties from both age groups should contact Forres Local by email to editor@forreslocal.com. If you know someone who has lots of ‘history’, do encourage them to get in touch.
As well as the podcast, there will be additional opportunities for young people to get involved with our Moray Youth Media content creation program, this could include presenting on video, recording video, mixing and editing audio and video, making podcasts and videos generally.