In September 2022, I was hired as a researcher by the guys at 2Funky Arts in Leicester to support them in a project exploring the city’s hidden nightlife over the years.
The aim is to chronicle nightlife in Leicester from the 1970s to the present day, with a specific focus on Music of Black Origin. This will culminate in an exhibition for the public to enjoy.
Another part of the project is the creation of an Oral History archive. I had only done a limited amount of work of this nature prior to the project, so it’s fair to say it has been a learning curve for me.
At this point, it’s probably best for me to define Oral History, and what a project of this kind entails.
So what is Oral History? It involves speaking with people about their memories of a certain time, place, event, or a combination of these. The conversation is recorded in order to enable future generations to listen to and engage with the memories and history.
The beauty of Oral History is that it provides a level of personal insight into an area of history that is hard to achieve through other means. When you speak with multiple people about similar topics, certain trends and themes around places or events form, and you can start to gauge the emotions that people attach to them. Additionally, as all the memories are subjective, you also get anecdotes and titbits of information thrown into the mix for good measure.
I am loving being involved in this project, and it is fascinating speaking to people from different backgrounds, ages and musical interests about the nightlife and venues that have existed in Leicester over the years. I have met some brilliant characters, had some truly interesting conversations, and I am gaining hugely valuable insights and experience.
Here are 10 things that taking part in this Oral History project has taught me so far. If you are interested in Oral History, then hopefully there are a few tips and tricks in here that can support with your own work.
Logistics
The pandemic forced us to get accustomed to digital forms of communication. But there is a need with Oral History to sit down face to face and record the conversation you have.
This can present challenges, as finding a suitable location or time isn’t always straightforward.
Given that all interviewees are volunteering their time to support the project, I feel it’s vital to allow them to dictate the time and location of the interview if they so wish. If they do not have any particular preference, having suggestions for times and locations can help fill in the gap. For example, we have used the 2Funky offices in Leicester city centre as these are both quiet and easy to access.
Flexibility
It’s vital to be flexible enough to meet the schedule of other people with a project like this. As an example, I have done interviews during the evening, as this was most convenient for the interviewee. Though you don’t want to change any personal plans too drastically, being willing to sacrifice what some may describe as ‘personal time’ for the sake of the project can ensure you get a strong interview.
This approach has definitely helped me clock up the number of interviewees and therefore the memories and insights gained for the project as a whole.
Locations
Finding a suitable place to do an Oral History interview is very important. You want somewhere that doesn't have too much background noise, allowing for the recording device to easily pick up the voice of the interviewee. As mentioned, giving the interviewee ‘first dibs’ on picking a location can help them feel at ease. As such, for this project, I have conducted interviews in people’s houses, in a pub, in a gym, in a community centre, at a radio station, and in a recording studio.
Presentation and giving a warm welcome
I feel that it’s important to present yourself in a professional manner when conducting interviews. Therefore behaving in a certain way is advisable, such as making sure you arrive early at the agreed location.
Trying to make the interviewee feel as comfortable as possible is also a great approach, as the last thing you want is for somebody to not enjoy the experience of speaking with you. Once with the interviewee arrives, asking some general questions about how their day is going, thanking them for giving up their time, and explaining what will happen during the interview can help keep things moving smoothly.
Some people may have reservations about being recorded. But simply explaining the devices that are being used, and letting them know that they can stop at any time can help create a calmer atmosphere. This way, it’s more likely that the interviewee will be able to relax and provide the kind of insight you are looking for.
Recording
When recording Oral History interviews, it is important to have a recording device that can capture everything that is discussed.
For this project, I have used a dictaphone and a mobile phone to record the conversations. By having two recording devices, that means that if one fails for whatever reason, there is always a back up.
Additionally, making notes during the conversation is a further way of making sure you have a record of what's been talked about, just in case the worst case scenario plays out and the recordings are lost.
Questions
Questions are a key part of any interview. But with Oral History, I have found that what typically plays out is more of a conversation than an interview. Having a good starting question helps to set the tone and gets things moving in the right direction. But I don’t think it’s necessary to have a set of questions written out and stick to them religiously. It’s more about speaking organically. Having specific areas that you want to touch upon is a good idea. But the interviewee may cover this without you asking them too.
It’s also a good idea to have a concluding question, and letting the interviewee know that this is being asked as a way of wrapping up the interview. This prevents it from coming as a surprise when you end the audio recording, and potentially leaving the interviewee feeling like they have been cut off or missed things out that they would have liked to mention.
Romeo Challenger, the drummer from the band Showaddywaddy, was one of my recent interviewees
Each interviewee is different
Some interviewees will be very chatty and getting them to share their memories will be no challenge at all. But others will perhaps feel nervous or timid and therefore require a little more effort in order to get them talking. Being able to gauge how the interviewee is feeling and keeping the conversation flowing, regardless of how the interviewee approaches things, is important. This way, you can gently guide the interviewee along the path you need them to take for the project at hand.
Going down memory lane
With pretty much every interview I have done so far, as the interviewee has started talking and going down memory lane, they have started to relax into their stories.
I have noticed a definite enjoyment in doing this, with many people’s demeanour visibly changing as they think back on times gone by.
This has been one of the most rewarding aspects of doing this project, as I feel that each interview has been genuinely enjoyable for the interviewee to participate in.
Keeping on track
Some interviewees will naturally go off on tangents. This can be tricky as you don’t want to interrupt them and say that what they are saying is not really of interest to the project. However, by looking to interject appropriately and guide the conversation back to the most pertinent topics, it is possible to ensure that any deviations can be quickly rectified.
Wrapping things up
Once the interview is complete, being sure to continue to make the interviewee comfortable and thanking them for their time and for taking part is important.
Also, providing information about any next steps, such as when the interview may be available to hear back, or in our case when the exhibition is taking place, is a great way to end things.
I hope this has been an interesting read. The project is still ongoing, with an exhibition planned for early 2023 and the Oral History archive set to be available at a similar time. So watch this space!
If you have any questions about the project or my work, feel free to get in touch and I will be very happy to speak with you.
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