Titanic Stories: Contemporary Voices

In partnership with National Maritime Museum Cornwall, Storylines worked closely with five people who had moved from overseas and now live in Cornwall. Through community interviews we listened to personal experiences of migration and produced a series of digital stories. Alongside photographic portraits and personal objects, these digital stories featured in the Titanic Stories: Contemporary Voices exhibition at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.

Community Interviews- Migration Stories

Migration is entwined with people’s lives, making it a vast and complex theme. This exhibition provided a glimpse into the experiences of people who have made journeys to new lands to start new lives. Community interviews were valuable in capturing often unheard stories. Working with participants to create digital stories was a moving and eye opening experience. We very much hope that hearing these stories will encourage empathy from a wider audience.

Titanic Stories: Contemporary Voices Exhibition & Workshop

Alongside these present day stories, the exhibition shows how the Titanic carried the hopes and dreams of hundreds of people seeking a better life. Making the connection between these historic stories of migration and contemporary stories was important.

As part of the project Storylines also delivered a story-sharing workshop at the Museum. This brought together people who took part in the community interviews, with descendants of those who travelled on the Titanic. Bringing together people who had migrated with those who were Cornish born and bred led to some fascinating exchanges about belonging and home. This workshop was also an opportunity to share and celebrate the digital stories we had produced. We had tears, laughter and some really meaningful connections made.

This project is part of Cornwall Museum Partnership’s Community Arts Project and was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and Arts Council England through its Major Partner Museums programme.