Ebbsfleet Citizen Archive is a community-led project by Cement Fields capturing and preserving the varied stories and histories of the people and places of Ebbsfleet, Greenhithe, Swanscombe, and Northfleet, as the area goes through a significant moment of change.
Co-created by artists, historians and residents, the archive brings local people together to explore Ebbsfleet’s unique historic and contemporary identity through objects, sounds, videos and photographs, collected by and from residents past, present and future. A series of creative workshops, walks and events presented different creative approaches to archiving, enabling everybody to get involved and add their voice to the archive.
At the core of the project, a team of volunteer Citizen Archivists visited the local archives and learned the practical and creative skills needed to create an archive for the whole community.
- Artist Lu Williams worked with local people on a new guide to the area - Ebbsfleet Citizens Handbook. Pick up your free Handbook from the Gravesend Library and Dartford Museum and Library. An online copy can be downloaded here.
- Local historian Christoph Bull led a series of heritage walks exploring the history of different landscape and communities in the area. Use our map to follow some of the walks, for new guided walks, see his website here.
- Harun Morrison created River Reflections - an audio work for a listening bench placed on the Northfleet riverside.
- Sahra Hersi made a 3D memory wayfinder with Cherry Orchard Academy schoolchildren for Castle Hill, called Wayfinding Our Memories.
- Walk Tall and Andy Field directed a performance with local young people inspired by memories recorded for the Archive.
- Local photographer and writer Mbeke Waseme created a series of photographs and memories of people who came to live in the area. These were exhibited at Ebbsfleet International.
- Charlotte Ginsborg's cross generational film Our future, our past, whisper it to me was presented at community screenings in the area. Combining prose poetry and documentary, the film forms hybrid portraits investigating people’s sense of belonging, what home means to them, and their vision for the future of the area.
- Memories were captured on film by Charlotte Ginsborg and on audio by Hannah Kemp-Welch. Photography workshops were supported by Simon Martin.
All the materials collected throughout the project can be accessed on this website.
Cement Fields is a visual art organisation working collaboratively with artists and communities to create ambitious new art along the Thames Estuary in North Kent. Supported using public funding by Arts Council England, and the University of Kent.
Ebbsfleet Citizen Archive is made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and supported using public funding by Arts Council England. With additional support from Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, Gravesham Libraries, Dartford Museum and Libraries, and Kent Archives.
Thanks to National Lottery Players
