Exploring the rich multicultural history of Devon.

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About us

About us

Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots is a community heritage and oral history project focused on diverse and multicultural histories. It explores the stories, memories and hidden histories of Devon’s towns and cities – past and present. We are currently focusing on Honiton and Ilfracombe. 

If you have links to these towns, are interested in history, heritage and diverse cultures and/or have a story to share, then please get in touch with the Project Coordinator Hilda Kalap: hildatosfor@gmail.com

Through building an archive of oral history interviews, Telling Our Stories aims to preserve, share and celebrate the voices, stories and heritage of the wide range of people who live in Devon today, ensuring that the voices we listen to today and in the future are more diverse and more inclusive than the ones we’ve heard before.

To date the project has gathered histories and contemporary stories from three towns and one city: Exeter (2012-13), Bideford (2020), Okehampton (2020) and Tiverton (2020).

The project is community-led and community-powered, supported by teams of local volunteers, and featuring the voices and contributions of many community participants.

Telling Our Stories is a Devon Development Education project, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Public-facing activity has been made possible thanks to heritage partners Ilfracombe Museum, AllHallows Museum Honiton, Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life, The Museum of Dartmoor Life, The Burton at Bideford, and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum (2012 – 2013).

Our locations

Our locations

Telling Our Stories has engaged with 3 towns and 1 city across Mid and North Devon.

We have worked in Exeter (2012 – 2013); Bideford (2019 – 2020), Okehampton (2019 – 2020) and Tiverton (2019 – 2020).

These towns and cities are each very different. Exeter is the county’s capital; Tiverton is a centre of industry / manufacturing; Bideford is a port town; and Okehampton is an agricultural market town on the edge of Dartmoor.

Latest project news

Latest project news

Standing in unity against violence and racism on UK streets

Standing in unity against violence and racism on UK streets

Media Statement 12th August 2024 All of us working on the Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots multicultural history project in Devon stand in unity against the violence and racism we have been witnessing in the media and on UK streets. For the past year and in...

Latest blog posts

Latest blog posts

Calling all creatives! Deadline Extended!!!

Calling all creatives! Deadline Extended!!!

Calling All Creatives! **** STILL TIME TO GET INVOLVED ****** Devon’s multicultural heritage project Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots is calling all creatives for its two latest initiatives. With the help of a team of enthusiastic volunteers led by project...

Calling all creatives! Deadline Extended!!!

Calling all creatives! Deadline Extended!!!

Calling All Creatives! **** STILL TIME TO GET INVOLVED ****** Devon’s multicultural heritage project Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots is calling all creatives for its two latest initiatives. With the help of a team of enthusiastic volunteers led by project...