IROKO Theatre held the second of the training workshops for Volunteer Researchers assisting on the ‘Home from Home’ project celebrating the legacy of people of Nigerian descent in Britain. Conducted by The National Life Stories at The British Library, the training focused on equipping the researchers with skills to conduct and document oral history interviews. Seventeen participants took part in the training, including one participant who joined in from as far as India.  

The trainer, Sarah Lowry discussed important questions such as ‘what is oral history,’ and how does one draw stories that reflect the achievements and challenges from the interviewees.  The Researchers had a chance to practice their interviewing skills with one another, paying attention to their listening and empathy skills. They also worked on how to capture the main points of personal stories through developing their editing and recording skills.   

Our trained Volunteer Researchers will further put their oral history interviewing skills to practice through undertaking interviews with 15 British-Nigerian Londoners who have made a difference to their communities. The stories will be housed here on the ‘Home from Home’ microsite and will be accessible to the public as part of the project’s digital resources.  So, watch the space!  

When asked what the participants learned on the workshop, the feedback included;

“The importance of rooting research in the community.”

“The cultural significance of dialogues.”

“How to interact with interviewees (particularly emotionally)”

Home from Home is an 18-month project that ends in May 2024, and is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.