National Lottery Heritage Grants £10,000 to £250,000
Its Heritage Journeys project is capturing oral histories from 100 women and highlighting their resilience in the face of prejudice and upheaval.
Interviewees are sharing memories and traditions including music, food, family and faith alongside stories of their journeys to Northern Ireland.
Although the women have been able to bring aspects of their culture with them, they have had to leave others behind. The project aims to preserve this heritage before it disappears and to explore how participants maintain and adapt traditions in a new place.
The interviews are being archived at The Linen Hall in Belfast and showcased on a new website and in exhibitions, helping local residents and migrant communities connect with and learn from one another.
Among the women interviewed was Domingas Gusmão, who shared the story of her move from East Timor to Northern Ireland with First Minister Michelle O’Neill.
Domingas says: “I feel privileged to be part of this project and of First Steps Women’s Centre in Dungannon. Knowing my story, and the stories of so many other women of my generation, will be preserved in The Linen Hall Library, so that my children and grandchildren can one day hear about our journeys to make a home in Mid Ulster, means a great deal to me.”
Listen to her story and more on the Heritage Journeys website and discover more projects safeguarding the cultures and memories that make up the UK’s rich heritage.
