Recording the stories of New Zealand

Recording the stories of New Zealand

The New Zealand Oral History Awards for 2014 have been announced, with 12 projects receiving a total of $103,456 in funding.

The Awards are funded by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage and provide financial support for the recording of interviews relating to the history of New Zealand/Aotearoa, and its close connections with the Pacific. They focus on projects that contribute to the understanding of New Zealand’s past and its people.

Ministry for Culture and Heritage Senior Oral Historian, Alison Parr, says there will be a real diversity of New Zealand history captured this year.

“There’s a wonderful range of projects, including the stories of Pacific people in Christchurch during the rebuild, the history of the Pacifica Mamas and Papas in West Auckland, protest against the Vietnam War, recordings of Ngati Porou descendants, rugby league and working class culture, the Braille Collective of musicians in Wellington, and immigrants' stories from the Manapouri Hydro Project,” says Parr.

The recordings produced for this year’s projects will be deposited in the Alexander Turnbull Library where they will be available to researchers in generations to come.

“There will be stories and memories recorded that would often never be captured if it weren’t for oral history. That’s why this form of research is so vital,” says Parr.

For information about this year’s successful applicants and past funded projects, visit the Ministry for Culture and Heritage website:

http://www.mch.govt.nz/funding-nz-culture/ministry-grants-awards/new-zealand-oral-history-awards

ENDS

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