The National Jazz Archive, based in Loughton, Essex, has been awarded £83,300 by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the Intergenerational Jazz Reminiscence Project, which will begin in January 2016.
Thanks
to National Lottery players, this project will give people the opportunity to
learn about and contribute to the National Jazz Archive through a programme of
performance, oral history and reminiscence. It will explore how different
generations have promoted, performed, supported, and documented our jazz
heritage. Using materials from the Archive and from other local sources, the project
will inspire members of Age UK Activity Centres, local jazz clubs, local youth
groups and young jazz musicians to share and discuss what music has meant and
still means in their lives.
The
generation that founded jazz clubs, learned to play jazz before there was any formal
musical education in jazz, and who have donated their magazines, photographs
and other material to the National Jazz Archive are nearing the end of their
lives. Through interviewing and recording talks and discussions at
intergenerational workshops in Age UK Activity Centres the project will record
and conserve the reminiscences of a generation of people who had to make
considerable investment to access music. Recorded music will be a part of the
workshops, with live music by young musicians at some of them.
Interviews
with older jazz musicians, jazz club promoters and supporters will form a
permanent record of anecdotal jazz history. The project will work with the
Black Cultural Archives to encourage participation from the older black, Asian,
and minority ethnic communities, including local musicians associated with
these communities. Loughton Youth Project will participate in and film the
sessions.
The interviews and memories collected by the
project will be made available on the Archive’s website and will contribute to an
exhibition celebrating the people and places that have shaped jazz music across
the UK.
The
National Jazz Archive will be leading the project, and will work in partnership
with other specialist organisations to deliver it: Age UK, Black Cultural
Archives, Chelmsford Museums Service, Essex University, Loughton Youth Project,
the Open University, and local jazz clubs.
Commenting
on the award, Paul Kaufman, Chair of the Trustees of the National Jazz Archive,
said “This is a great result for a magnificent team effort. The HLF award is a
tremendous endorsement of the National Jazz Archive. It recognises and builds
on the success achieved by our first HLF project ‘The Story of British Jazz’, and
presents a wonderful opportunity to develop our relationship with a broad range
of new and existing partners. It also enables us to further develop the Archive
and to increase access to and public engagement with our important collections.”
The
founder and lifelong patron of the Archive, jazz trumpeter, author and
broadcaster Digby Fairweather, said: “I’m delighted that the Archive is
continuing to extend its work through this exciting project, which will record
and capture so many personal recollections and stories. It’s very pleasing that
so many levels of expertise and skills will be involved, with participants from
young to old.”
Robyn
Llewellyn, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund East of England, said: “This project
is a great example of the breadth of heritage supported by National Lottery
players. We’re really pleased that our funding will allow more people to
explore and learn about this fascinating and important archive.”
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