Census 21

Project title: Census 21

Project partners: Deborah Madden (Principal Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Sciences) and Helen Speck (BA (Hons) Games Art and Design School of Art and Media)

 

This collaborative project brought together students and academics from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, as well as the School of Media, to co-design innovative digital learning resources and sessions for a range of learning contexts in the community. Co-partnered with Strike a Light – Arts & Heritage CIC, the project delivered online workshops, lectures and interactive sessions, disseminating high quality digital pedagogical resources and links for school, healthcare and community settings. Using the newly released census returns for 1921, historical sources were accessed to evidence the changing complexion of its data and the extent to which this highlights key social, cultural, economic and political shifts. The project drew attention to local and transnational dimensions, situating community engagement squarely within under-represented groups in Brighton and East Sussex. The project designed a range of digital and online activities to deliver quality and accessible content for differing learning contexts. The student involved in the digital partnership, Helen Speck, designed an online game based on historical sources from the 1921 census returns. The game was designed to be adapted for different age groups, locations and specialist interest. Helen’s involved thinking about how the game could be designed and implemented in both schools and healthcare settings.

   

The project fostered a much better understanding of how the historical census can be used for creative re-interpretation in ways accessible for the here and now, as well as a productive means of curriculum enrichment and applied learning in digital skills. Through its collaborative working, the project facilitated conversations and reflexivity about the representation of marginal histories and the ethics involved with public history. Moreover, how digital resources and skills can play a key role in how histories are represented and how they are accessed.
For more information, contact Deborah Madden – D.Madden2@brighton.ac.uk