Working class history to be focus of new grants

Projects celebrating the contribution of working class communities to the history of North Yorkshire have been given thousands of pounds to explore people's "untold stories".

The new grants from the Everyday Heritage programme would go towards schemes focusing on buildings or places in rural or coastal locations, according to Historic England.

Among those to benefit will be a scheme in Boroughbridge aiming to tell the history of lidos in working class communities, while another will look at a road in Scarborough which was once home to a prison, workhouse and cemetery.

Duncan Wilson, from Historic England, said the projects would "shine a light on the stories of local, working class people".

Artist Amelia Hawk, whose Gentle Waters project looking at the role of lidos in North Yorkshire, has been awarded £9,900, said she had chosen to base her scheme at Helmsley's open air pool.

"I was quite interested in looking at the history of working class wellbeing and also the history of open air pools," she explained.

"There's a connection between how swimming became a working class activity that started in the 1850s and a drive for cleanliness in houses that didn't have access to private bathrooms."

Ms Hawk said she chose Helmsley as her focus because it was a rural and fairly isolated site, which also put on a number of activities such as solstice and night swims.

She said with the new funding, she could create a series of workshops in and around the pool featuring memories and old photographs of the lido from local residents.

By the end, a permanent artwork would have been created for the pool, alongside contributions to local archives and a final celebratory event.

The lido would also be opened up for free creative swimming for wellbeing.

Meanwhile, Jayne Shipley, who runs the Street of Life (Up Dean Road) project in Scarborough, said she hoped the new funding of £24,000 would help uncover the tales of those who lived, worked, and passed through the area in the 1800s.

Stories would be told of people such as the inmates of the prison and workhouse, as well as some of those buried in Dean Road Cemetery, Ms Shipley said.

The histories of people "passing by" would also be compared to the more permanent lives of those who chose to live on Dean Road.

Ms Shipley said: "I am delighted to be able to receive the Everyday Heritage grant on behalf of communities living, studying, working and supported by charities along Dean Road.

"The grant will enable our participants to make heritage more accessible and bring people together in creative exploration."

In total, there are 30 new heritage projects around England sharing almost £500,000.

Duncan Wilson, chief executive at Historic England, said: "Across England we are all surrounded by inspiring historic buildings, landscapes and streets, rural and coastal heritage.

"These projects will shine a light on the stories of local, working class people and their extraordinary contributions to our shared history."

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