The end of 2021 saw a change at EMOHA as Colin Hyde has returned from his secondment to the Unlocking Our Sound Heritage project to take over the management of EMOHA. Helen Foster will continue at the Centre for Urban History as a Wellcome Trust Early Career Research Fellow, which will enable her to continue the work about the menopause that she started with the Silent Archive project.

Recent training sessions include an online session with Drum and Brass for their Prabandh project, which is working with communities in the UK and Northern India to research the medieval Indian classical music form of Prabandh. EMOHA also spent an enjoyable day with the Derby West Indian Community Association who are recording the memories of people who have been involved with the local Carnival.

EMOHA has taken in several collections in 2021. Belton in Rutland History Society have been recording memories of their village and local area; Tracking Our Heritage was run by the Derwent & Wye Valley Railway Trust and engaged the communities of Matlock, Darley Dale and Rowsley in uncovering local heritage based around the section of the former mainline railway between Matlock and Rowsley; the St Paul’s Church Heritage Project covers life and church attendance in Woodhouse Eaves, Leicestershire; and Textile Tales documents the decline of the textile industry in the East Midlands between 1980 and 2005.

The British Library have recently launched their new website showcasing oral histories of theatre design. This is called Voices of British Theatre Design and the website says, ‘Set within a series of essays, a selection of over 50 audio clips offers rare access to the usually hidden world of theatre design through first-hand reflections from set and costume designers, scenic artists, directors and actors. The clips are from National Life Stories’ extensive oral history collections at the British Library.’