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Covid-19 Community Archive

Images of rainbows made for NHS staff during the COVID-19 crisis

COVID-19 Community Archive - Marking a Moment in History

The West Sussex Record Office, The Novium Museum in Chichester and Screen Archive South East are joining forces to create a COVID-19 Community Archive.

This archive will be an accessible time capsule for future generations to show the county's reaction, resilience and recovery during these extraordinary times.

Residents are invited to share their lockdown diaries, posters, poems, artwork, objects or videos to become part of history. Organisations and community groups are asked to share their experiences, feelings and activities. It is hoped that key workers and services will also add their stories to the archive.

Records can be made on paper, digitally, or on a phone and be done as an individual, part of a family project within the same household, a creative outlet or simply as a daily record.

Do you have a particular item that has kept you going throughout the lockdown? A selection of these objects will be added to the Novium's social history collection and will be preserved for future generations.

Residents are also asked to help in collecting other material that they might come across such as:

  • leaflets/flyers/posters from councils and other organisations about the pandemic
  • material from local businesses relating to closures or changes to how they operate
  • advice from local organisations about hygiene, social distancing and self-isolation
  • information about community efforts to help vulnerable and isolated persons
  • information from local schools regarding closures and home-schooling.

Each of the partners will be responsible for collecting different materials which will form part of their collections and will be used together for future displays and exhibitions.

The responsibilities for the collection will be divided up as follows:

  • The West Sussex Record Office (run by West Sussex County Council) will be collecting all archives and digital content.

  • The Novium will be responsible for the collection of objects, including 3D items from across Chichester District.

  • Screen Archive South East (part of the University of Brighton) will be taking in and preserving all films (as digital files) from across West Sussex.  

To share your stories with us please complete the Expression of Interest Form below and email to thenovium@chichester.gov.uk

Contemporary Collecting Expression of Interest Form (Word doc) [42KB]

If your entry is a VIDEO, please submit the video electronically with the completed form.

If your entry is an OBJECT, please submit up to 5 photographs of the item with your completed form.

If your entry is a PHOTOGRAPH/S, please submit these electronically with your completed form.

All submissions will be reviewed by a panel of museum staff. Please note only electronic submissions will be accepted. You will be notified by a member of the team if your submission has been successful at panel.