The Union Chapel is launching its first ever digital archive, “Your Story”, about the public’s experiences of the coronavirus pandemic.
The chapel, which functions as both a religious and social space, said it was inspired by its current historical archives.
“What the Union Chapel is trying to do is create a record of what’s happened this year and people’s different responses to it,” said Becky Jefcoate, the chapel’s Activity Planner. “It’s really important that we document this year and have it there for people of the future.”
The chapel is calling for a range of submissions, and is letting the public decide what to submit: from diary entries to photographs.
Jefcoate said, “people have created dances in response to the pandemic, people have done songs and poetry and spoken word pieces… and we’ve had people who’ve taken photographs around the house, but also people who have looked at things like the rainbows in people’s windows and new graffiti that’s happened on the street.”
The “Your Story” digital archive is now live online, and the team behind it plans to bring its contributors together in person by holding an exhibition next year, open to members of the public.
“Everyone who’s actually sent an entry in will be invited. That way, people can see what other people have submitted but also get to meet each other as well,” said Jefcoate.
Though the archive has only just opened, the response has been encouraging, and so far, the chapel has received submissions from as far away as schools in Cornwall. “I’m sure we’ll get some very sad stories, as well as some uplifting, hopeful ones,” Jefcoate said. “We just thought it would be a really nice way to connect with people.”
