Education Pack

We often learn about the histories of kings and queens. But what about everyday people like us?

We have important stories too.

Dig Where You Stand is a project that finds and shares untold stories about everyday people of colour in South Yorkshire. These stories are found in local archives by searching through a range of records, such as newspaper articles or company newsletters, a baptismal record or birth register, a book of watercolour paintings, a playbill or a diary. Some stories go back hundreds of years, showing that people of colour have long been part of South Yorkshire’s history.

It is important to share these stories about everyday people of colour as widely as possible. Not many people know about them and they are not often taught at school. We have designed an educational resource to help do just that. Based on research for the DWYS 2021 exhibition, it is organised into four sections: (1) Children; (2) Buildings, Place & Space; (3) Work; (4) Artists and Entertainers. Each section includes three stories and a range of activities to help you think about them in critical and creative ways. We hope that after using this resource you will be inspired to explore your own local and family histories. Visit an archive near you, search through an old family photo album, or speak to an elder. There are so many stories left to tell.