Mencap Cymru

Citizen Curators (2022–24) is a Mencap Cymru project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project works with Mencap Cymru groups in Chepstow, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion to train people with a learning disability and their supporters to curate, exhibit and archive the histories of people with a learning disability and their family carers. Since the launch of the project in September 2022, People’s Collection Wales (PCW) has been supporting the project in a variety of ways.

From left to right: Caroline and James, Chris and Di, and Georgia and Dawn. From the 2016–18 “Our Social Networks” Mencap Cymru project, capturing the stories of friendship and relationship by people with a learning disability across Wales.

The support on the logistics of uploading to the collection as well as the support in collecting materials has been invaluable.

Inspiring contributors

According to Emily Garside, Project Manager Citizen Curators Project, working with PCW has not only given them a greater understanding of the way PCW works “with insight from the ‘inside’ rather than just trying to navigate as ‘outsiders’”, but it has also provided project members “ideas and inspiration from how other groups have worked things”.

The inclusion of PCW has inspired the groups and given them motivation for the project.

For instance, Emily says, seeing what is possible in terms of archiving and sharing has made them think about the scope and possibilities. At the same time, it has given them a sense of how much work will be involved to complete the project – “which in a coproduction setting is also important!”

Training project members

Alongside an introduction to its website and how to contribute material, PCW has provided the groups with training in digitisation and archiving.

The delivery by PCW went above and beyond.

Increasing digital confidence

Emily particularly appreciates how working with PCW has helped ease some of the groups’ fears around using digital technologies due to inexperience. These fears, she says, can “translate into a lack of confidence in beginning the work or in engaging with the possibilities fully”.

The training with Berian made a huge leap forward in understanding and confidence around the project, and I’m confident that without his support we would not have made the progress we had.

Feeling included and connected

Engaging with PCW has also made the groups feel far more connected to Wales and the history they will be contributing to. And, perhaps even more importantly, it’s been “hugely influential” to show that their project will sit alongside other heritage projects with equal importance.

PCW will continue to support the project through training, support and resources, and we are excited to see the results of the project!

The inclusion of PCW has inspired the groups and given them motivation for the project.