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Turning out to make history OurStory Scotland James Valentine introduces OurStory Scotland, a unique archive which aims to portray the lives of those people often regarded as marginal by mainstream society

Part 1: Turning the tables belonging. Having looked at the the life stories and memorabilia of It was about time. Three things way marginalised characters were the LGBT community, and there were necessary for the archive to portrayed in media representations was a positive response. This gave be conceived: national absence, and discriminatory discourse in the impetus to fi nd out whether community interest and personal Japan and other societies, I was similar archives already existed in frustration. Scotland had no archive eager to see how we could turn the Scotland and elsewhere in Britain, Above right: Display that brought together the life stories tables and tell our own stories in whether provision could be made for of badges for Open of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and our own words. This was a matter LGBT archives in local museums Museum exhibition at transgender (LGBT) community, of urgency. Older LGBT people or libraries and what advice and Gallery of Modern Art there was manifest interest in telling in Scotland had seen momentous support could be obtained from stories of our lives and I had studied changes in their lifetime, and this existing projects. with growing dissatisfaction the fi rst-hand experience would be lost Progress was reported at each representations of our lives by others. for all time unless recorded soon. meeting of Diverse Artists, but it How OurStory Scotland came into A further reason to ask about their was clear that the archive group, as being and turned out to make history lives, needs and aspirations, was it came to be called, was a project in is inevitably a story that involves the growing awareness amongst its own right. We had an inaugural Scotland, our community and a researchers at Stirling University meeting of this group in August number of individuals who happened and elsewhere that older people 2002 and decided to constitute to be in an amenable place at an might fi nd their LGBT support ourselves separately as a voluntary appropriate time. networks disrupted by residential association. The Steering Committee At the beginning of the new care, and that assumptions made was appointed in October, and in millennium I had been researching by social services could amount to December 2002 OurStory Scotland marginality for fi fteen years. (re)enforced heterosexuality. was formally established and the People regarded as marginal by Meanwhile in Glasgow, Diverse constitution was approved. Within the mainstream tend to lack the Artists were portraying LGBT lives another eighteen months we were resources to shape the wider and loves through art, poetry and recognised as a Scottish Charity. societal representation of their lives, music. At a meeting of Diverse From the outset our aims were especially in societies where there Artists at the end of 2001, I to collect, archive and present the is an emphasis on unambiguous suggested that we should archive life stories and experiences of the

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LGBT community in Scotland in LGBT community. Their experience performances of stories generated their own words and images, since and enthusiasm encouraged us to through reminiscence. This inspired representations of our community continue, while the sight of the us to include performance and have tended to be stereotyped and labour-intensive work of archiving drama in our objectives for the discriminatory, constructed about news reports and publications, and representation of LGBT stories. us rather than by and for ourselves. the concomitant space requirements, On a subsequent visit to London I Our lives have often been hidden, confirmed us in the direction of oral met with Rob Perks, Curator of Oral maligned or silenced, our stories history and storytelling. History and Director of National neglected, distorted or suppressed. To At the same time as we were Life Stories, British Library Sound tell OurStory rather than a traduced starting up in Glasgow, with Archive, who generously gave version, we aimed to establish a pretensions to cover all of Scotland, hours of his time to help ensure we history from within our community. a similar project was starting up used valid and reliable oral history We could never have done this in Edinburgh that was later to be recording and archiving techniques, without the advice and support of called Remember When. It was a and suggested we use summaries those who had already been involved joint initiative between the City of with our digital recordings, rather in archiving neglected narratives Edinburgh Council and the Living than full transcriptions: the and were willing to reflect on their Memory Association, and it was able summaries are searchable and experience and turn it over to us. to draw on oral history and archiving indicate the place on the recording expertise from the outset. The to hear the original words. He also Turning over experience existence of this project focusing on encouraged us to write about our Even before we were formally Edinburgh was both a relief and a work in Oral History, the Journal of constituted, we sought advice resource for us, as it enabled us to the Oral History Society. from organisations in Glasgow, do two things: to focus initially on Other pioneers came to Scotland. Edinburgh, Brighton and London. Glasgow and the rest of Scotland, Penny Coleman visited Edinburgh at We did not want to reinvent the rather than take on the huge task of the invitation of Remember When, The Story Tree wheel, and we knew that we should collecting stories from the capital, and we were asked to give a talk allowed workshop seek the best guidance before and to call upon the expertise of about our project. Her pioneering participants to share we embarked on collecting and the Living Memory Association in work with ‘gender outlaws whose their tales with others archiving stories. The obvious place oral history, reminiscence work and to start was our own city, Glasgow, archiving. Thus began a fruitful and one of the most important cooperation that included joint archives: the Lesbian Archive and interviews in Edinburgh, learning Information Centre (LAIC). LAIC from each other’s exhibitions, and is at Glasgow Women’s Library and a jointly conceived celebration of contains the UK’s largest and most Edinburgh’s queer stories through significant collection of materials creative writing and drama. By the about lesbian lives, histories and time our parallel projects were well achievements. We arranged to meet underway in 2005, we shared the Sue John and Adele Patrick at Jackie Forster Award for Culture at Glasgow Women’s Library, where Pride Scotia. they showed us round the archive Back in our first year, however, and gave us tea, advice and support. we needed to look further afield. Their generosity was extraordinary. By summer 2002 we had local They might have resisted another support but wanted to talk to an archiving venture, or could have LGBT archiving project that had suggested removing at least the L several years of experience. This from LGBT, but instead there was was Brighton Ourstory. We visited a sense of full cooperation, that them and Linda generously gave we were involved in valuable work us five hours of her valuable time, in the same community, and that showing us their publications, you could never envisage there exhibition materials and archiving being too many people collecting techniques. We were so inspired by narratives of our lives as there their project that we borrowed the would always be untold stories ‘ourstory’ name to apply to own to tell. This was crucial backing, enterprise. Later the same year I as we would have abandoned the visited Age Exchange in Blackheath project if there had been the sense London to meet their innovative that we were encroaching or that Artistic Director, Pam Schweitzer, we should somehow divide up the and witness her direction of theatre

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publicly. For most people there involves concurrent collection is a contrastive balance between and representation bears a double being identified and being open. benefit of archiving pleasures: it Where it comes to a choice between brings immediate gratification that disclosure of identity and visibility persuades people to turn out and of narrative, we have favoured the tell their story and/or volunteer for latter, in which an individual adopts the drier work of administering a degree of anonymity in designation the collection; and it provides a that enables them to reveal variety of storytelling methods that extensively and securely. To reach stimulate and empower people who out to the wider LGBT community lack verbal confidence to narrate. and others, it is vital for stories to be Our verbal storytelling is not readily accessible ‘out there’. From confined to traditional forms. It the outset we turned the classic has ranged from one-liners on view of archiving inside out: we luggage labels attached to a story would start with an outer display of tree, through written episodes narratives kept inside, and archive that record a significant incident, both the stories presented and the skeletons that give the bare bones occasion of their presentation. of a life story, and more extensive So we started with an exhibition. autobiographical writings, to video Our very first event was called, diaries and the sustained oral history appropriately, Becoming Visible. interviews assumed to be the staple It was an exhibition of stories of the traditional archive. Mass of LGBT life in Glasgow, and it Observation, founded in 1937, opened within a year of the initial pioneered the collection of written idea of establishing an archive. The accounts of everyday life. In 2010, first record of the materials and the Mass Observation Communities occasion was an online archive that Online enabled a range of lives and loves have challenged Poster for Love took people through the rooms and community groups such as OurStory convention’ ensured that we would Out of Bounds displays of the physical exhibition, Scotland to devise open-ended never forget the visual side to exhibition, Hillhead by clicking on web pages designed questionnaires, diary tasks and storytelling. Sharon Chalmers was and photographed by Ian Strang. observations for online submission. invited to talk to OurStory Scotland The exhibition itself was curated OurStory Scotland was the only in Glasgow, and spoke of her oral by Jim Campbell, who was inspired Scottish group, and the only LGBT history and exhibition work on queer by the work of Christian Boltanski, group, to take part in this project. lives in Western Sydney, shown renowned for making archival The online collection of written at Liverpool Regional Museum, installations that present evidence of submissions established a dynamic New South Wales. This not only our transitory lives and community for further storytelling. passed on to us brilliant ideas and identities – trajectories of belonging. This is not the place to provide techniques for visual display, but As we continued to seek a public a detailed review of the variety of reinforced the interest in exhibition library or museum that would storytelling methods we have used, work that had been at the heart of permanently house our materials but it is worth noting that one our undertaking from the outset. We and recordings, we took inspiration of the most effective approaches have always understood how vital it from the reminiscence and drama has been the interaction between is for the project to be out in public work of Age Exchange to collaborate the visual and the verbal. Verbal representations as well as inside in with 7:84 Theatre Company narration may inspire visual the archives. Scotland, long renowned for radical storytelling, but the order may be drama, but later to be a lamentable reversed with the visual coming Turning inside out casualty of funding cuts. Stories were first: some may find it easier to tell A classic way of archiving generated through drama workshops of their lives through visual display suppressed stories would be to take that incorporated reminiscence that may then enable a verbal them from one closet into another: work, individual oral history reflection on its significance. The to record stories kept inside oneself recordings, written monologues text in Text Out, an especially and transfer them to be locked up and devised enactments. After more creative dynamic at Dundee safely in an archive. While it is vital than eighteen months we presented Contemporary Arts, is taken out always to respect the wishes of the ‘sexShunned’, a sell-out production of episodes and blown up large in person telling their story, and to at The Arches Theatre Glasgow, as visual representations that, in turn, protect their privacy as requested, part of Glasgay!, Scotland’s annual are elaborated verbally in audio the majority of participants are celebration of queer culture. recordings. Love Out of Bounds, happy to have their stories told more The storytelling approach that our latest project, generates stories

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through the interplay of verbal Projects Manager and at that practical advice and support, for and visual arts, dance and music, time Keeper of Social History for instance in making summaries of while visual display (launched at Edinburgh City Museums, not our oral history recordings. Through Hillhead Library, Glasgow in 2011, only provided oral history training Jenny’s oral history contacts we met curated by Jose de Unamuno) as we started out, but also, in Lynn Abrams, Professor of Gender provides the setting and materials conjunction with Heather Robertson History at Glasgow University, who for storytelling performance and of the Living Memory Association, joined me in a Stirling University subsequent archiving. furnished us with a copyright research advisory group on This type of dynamic archiving agreement that we could adapt for Narratives of Marginalised Sexual forms a virtuous circle of save and our collection. Helen suggested Identity, together with Sue Tester, a show, collection and representation, people who might be interested Stirling University expert on ageing archive and display, where each in our work in other museums in and social policy. Sue and Jenny inspires the other, and what is inside Edinburgh and Glasgow. At Helen’s became founder members of the ourselves is brought out in public suggestion I telephoned Dorothy Neglected Narratives research group storytelling, that in turn is brought Kidd, Curator of the Scottish Life I set up at Stirling University, which securely within archives, that are Archive at National Museums has enabled researchers on the kept alive through being turned Scotland. I had become accustomed narratives of different marginalised out anew to show to outsiders and to wary and tentative responses, so communities to learn from each inspire the generation of further when Dorothy replied simply ‘yes’ to other. Lynn also introduced us stories. This practice can be seen as the request for a national collection to Sarah Cowie, who was doing the artistic turn that complements of LGBT lives to be housed in the heritage and museum work and the archival turn. Archive, I thought there must be quickly became indispensable some misunderstanding. Yet that through her skills in archiving, The archival turn reply was a plain and unequivocal summarising and publicity. We Archives have become not just a affirmation that turned into the had been approached by the resource for research but a topic reality of the OurStory Scotland Museum Manager of the People’s in their own right. This has been Collection in the Scottish Life Palace, Deborah Haase, to hold an called the archival turn, in which the Archive at National Museums exhibition in the very public space archive is repositioned as a site of Scotland. Dorothy in turn later of the Winter Gardens. Sarah by contested knowledge that becomes suggested the Scottish Screen chance was appointed to a position the subject of investigation. ‘Focus Archive at National Library of in this museum, and helped organise on the politics of knowledge is a Scotland for our video materials, an effective opening event and the methodological commitment to how which were accepted by the Curator, subsequent monitoring of feedback history’s exclusions are secured and Janet McBain, for archiving there as and attendance. made.’ Archivists are made aware the OurStory Scotland Collection. Through the People’s Palace we of this not just through academic Other suggested contacts made contact with other Glasgow research, but through requirements were followed up in Glasgow. museums: the Kelvingrove Art for access imposed by policy Irene O’Brien, Chair of the Gallery and Museum, where Lu documents, that themselves reflect Scottish Council on Archives and McNair, Learning and Access the demands of increasingly and Senior Archivist at the Mitchell Curator, invited us to put on an self-consciously diverse publics. Library, was highly supportive exhibition for 2008, and the Open It is in this fruitfully uncertain period of our need for a permanent Museum, where Chris Jamieson and that we were fortunate to find ourselves base in Glasgow, with storage Ewan McPherson worked with us at the outset of OurStory Scotland. The and meeting space, and this was to develop a reminiscence box or key was to locate library and museum agreed at the beginning of 2005. handling kit reflecting the lives of personnel whose commitment to This agreement should not be LGBT people. Chris encouraged inclusion was matched by the resources underestimated: space to meet us to submit materials for an Open of their institution. This took time and and to store materials before Museum exhibition at the Gallery of persistence, but one opening would archiving is essential for a charity Modern Art (GoMA) in Glasgow, typically bring several others. Most that relies on volunteers and has and Katie Bruce, their Social of these were neither members of the no permanent funding. Inclusion Coordinator, worked with LGBT community, nor necessarily Jenny Simmons, who had us to develop several projects around even familiar with our experience, but undertaken oral history for Glasgow the biennial Social Justice exhibition, were genuinely receptive to diversity. Museums and the British Library which for 2009 was devoted to Networks of cooperation were Sound Archive, was vital to our LGBT issues. constructed that brought opportunities work from the beginning. She had GoMA’s Social Justice exhibition that we could not have conceived. experience of recording the stories for 2009 built a mix of muting and To give a taste of this, it is of marginalised communities, declaration into the title sh[OUT], worth indicating some of the key and provided us with endless which proved prescient. OurStory connections. Helen Clark, Special encouragement as well as detailed Scotland’s contributions included

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a Chaplaincy Centre that the first gay disco took place I would say.’ (John) The success of the archival turn depends on timing, as revealed by the archived stories themselves. Our project started at an opportune time, when our interest in multi-media forms of storytelling was able to connect to the work of museums that were concerned to promote access in a double sense: to make diverse stories accessible through participation and display, and to include those who had been excluded from representation. The extraordinary cooperation in Scotland between museums, galleries, libraries and an LGBT charity may well be unique in the history of the social inclusion of LGBT people. This is an issue of place and of time, the turn of events.

Continued in the next issue of History Scotland, on sale 20 February, 2012.

James Valentine is Chair of OurStory Winter Gardens 2007, materials from our archives as the museum devoted to religious life and Scotland, Honorary Senior Research Fellow an exhibition in the foundation for the exhibition’s art, to present an exhibition of Love in the School of Applied Social Science at the very public space of Resource Space, a display of Out of Bounds during LGBT History University of Stirling. the Winter Gardens published cartoons entitled Drawn Month 2012, working with Lyndsey Out and Painted Pink by Kate Mackay, Project Curator for ‘Curious’. Further reading Charlesworth and David Shenton, Religion remains a domain to Penny Coleman, Village Elders and a major new contribution that approach with care, though the recent (University of Illinois Press, 2000). originated in the digital turn. The experience of religious condemnation work of Amy Murphy, Eleanor contrasts with the space afforded by Ellen Galford and Ken Wilson, Bradford and Allison Dow with a time of lower visibility, as revealed Rainbow City: Stories from younger LGBT people had opened in a recording in our archive. In the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and up new narratives and approaches late 1960s, John founded the Bachelor Transgender Edinburgh to narration. This was taken forward Clan, a contact group which ran for (Edinburgh, 2006). as a digital storytelling project more than a year, and then switched Our Vivid Stories, devised by to Scottish Minorities Group, which Ann Laura Stoler, Along the filmmaker Dianne Barry with Julie had a social and political side: Archival Grain: Epistemic Anxieties Ballands, forming a sequence of ‘There were also the meetings, and Colonial Common Sense video stories of young LGBT lives which took place. Here we had an (Princeton University Press, 2008). shown at the sh[OUT] exhibition interesting background, because and subsequently screened at the Church of Scotland through James Valentine, ‘Naming the the Document 7 human rights the Iona Community and their hall, Other: Power, Politeness and film festival at the Centre for Community House in Clyde Street the Inflation of Euphemisms’, in Contemporary Arts in Glasgow. in Glasgow, was happy to offer us a Sociological Research Online, 3 (4), Following the OurStory Scotland room where we could meet and chat (1998), http://www.socresonline. exhibitions for sh[OUT], that were and discuss the business … It got to org.uk/socresonline/3/4/7.html admired and commended, another the stage of even having booked a hall group mounted a display that bravely and having a disco, which is amazing James Valentine, ‘Narrative Acts: explored LGBT space in religion at that time: this was long before the Telling Tales of Life and Love with and attracted hostility, amplified by commercial world saw the advantage the Wrong Gender’ in Forum some newspapers, leading to some of having a commercial gay disco. Qualitative Sozialforschung, 9 (2), exhibits being withdrawn. In contrast, And that took place, not in the (2008), http://nbn-resolving.de/urn: OurStory Scotland has been invited Community House, because we met nbn:de:0114-fqs0802491 by St Mungo Museum, the Glasgow in Edinburgh also, and it was really in

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