Now We’re Talking! — New archive engagement programme announced

Nerve Centre will partner with the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) on Now We’re Talking, an exciting new archive and engagement programme based on the collections of two of Northern Ireland’s leading cultural figures.

Now We’re Talking is the first ever consortium grant awarded by The National Archives through its Archives Revealed fund. The project will catalogue and widen access to the papers of author and broadcaster, Sam Hanna Bell, and folklorist, writer and broadcaster, Michael J Murphy.

Through a programme of creative interventions, Nerve Centre will empower communities around Northern Ireland to engage with the archives and explore their connections to the present day, examining how folk culture is a major aspect of our identity.

Niall Kerr, Head of Heritage and Community Relations at Nerve Centre, said: “Through our work on projects like Making the Future and CollabArchive, Nerve Centre and PRONI have found a shared value in creatively exploring the archives, helping communities to engage with issues of cultural identity through the use of digital technologies. These rich collections are an exciting opportunity to continue that work and engage a new generation with the archive.”

David Huddleston, acting PRONI Director, said: “Murphy and Bell were chroniclers of Northern Ireland’s people, culture and traditions and their works provide a unique lens through which to view the region’s history. Using their extensive archives as a starting point, this project aims to reconnect communities with their shared cultural heritage through an exploration of tradition, memory, and identity”.

PRONI is the official archive for Northern Ireland tasked with identifying records of historical, social and cultural importance, preserving them and making them publicly accessible.

Further details, including how communities can get involved, will be announced in the coming weeks.