East Riding Archives has launched the ‘East Riding Blockdown’ project and are calling for East Riding young people aged 11-16 to contribute their experiences of the pandemic to the archives’ collections, using the popular videogame, Minecraft.
Young Minecrafters can visit a Minecraft world called the Archiverse, where they can build an object, place or person that represents their experience of the pandemic, or if they fancy themselves as more of a writer, have a go at documenting their experiences in a ‘book and quill’.
The centrepiece of the Archiverse world features a fully-explorable reconstruction of the Treasure House in Beverley, the home of East Riding Archives.
Each built or written creation will be archived as part of the East Riding Archives’ digital collections and preserved for the benefit of future generations to tell the story of the pandemic in the region.
Minecrafters will be able to play online in multiplayer or download the Archiverse map onto their device to participate privately. East Riding Archives will also be delivering a series of exciting events, providing further opportunities to contribute to the project.
Hannah Stamp, Archivist and Project Lead, says:
“This is a fantastic opportunity for young people to contribute their experiences to the history of the East Riding. Their creations will become part of the permanent historical record preserved alongside documents up to 800 years old.”
The East Riding Blockdown is supported by The Audience Agency’s ‘Digitally Democratising Archives’ project, thanks to funding from DCMS and the National Lottery, as part of The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s ‘Digital Skills for Heritage’ initiative.
For more information, and for details on how to take part, visit www.eastridingblockdown.org