Creating the Chinese Archive

Ni Hao! Hello!

In 2009 the Manchester Chinese Centre secured funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to develop its community archive. Over the past year we have worked in partnership with MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) and the Manchester Library and Information Services.

As well as an exhibition which is currently showing at MOSI, and this new website, the archive project will produce a publication to help tell the story of the Chinese community in Greater Manchester. A series of learning and outreach events are also being delivered. See 'Events' for details.

Through the project a diverse group of volunteers has conducted over 55 oral history interviews with members of the community. They have undertaken their own research, photographed and filmed community events, and catalogued photographs and documents which have been donated and loaned by the community.

At the end of the project in May 2011, the Manchester Archive will be deposited with the Manchester City Archives where it will be cared for by a team of archivists. Manchester Chinese Centre volunteers will continue to work on the project in its new home.

The Manchester Chinese Centre Director Jenny Wong and the Manchester Chinese Archive Project Leader, Jane Speller would like to thank the following volunteers for their energy and dedication:

I am doing the Manchester University's Leadership Programme and need volunteer work for that. I chose to do my volunteering with the Manchester Chinese Archive because I am Chinese and have an interest in the all aspects of Chinese history. I wanted to learn about the Chinese history in the city I am living in.

Yingxue Gong