Pete Davey lives in Stonehouse. When he was a student at Plymouth College of Art he explored the connections we have to the city we live in through film and photography.
In 2014 he was asked by Stonehouse Timebank to help take these ideas further by capturing the stories and memories of Stonehouse in the words of the people who know it well. Residents past and present were invited to be recorded into what has become an archive of the people for the people of Stonehouse.
The 100Homes project, as it is known, has grown steadily, recognised by various funding bodies as a way of involving local people in the rediscovery of their community – through oral history, research, and connections between generations. Kind of like a 21st Century version of sitting around the campfire listening to the elders of the village.
It’s the kind of community interaction we are in danger of losing, were it not for people like Pete.
He explained:
“We have a great history in the city, but we don’t capture it right. Stonehouse has always been a transit area, growing up around dockyards and military bases – and we have always had diversity; something that is continued by the city’s present dispersal status for refugees.
“People have looked out for one another in the past, and our project is enabling them to do so again. We have testimonies of individuals who were depressed and agrophobic who have become involved with the project, had their voice heard and listened to, and who began to turn around to support others.
“Many discovered old friends and family connections as a thriving Facebook page helped them connect to one another with thousands of likes and shares.
“I have friends who are now going to university to study history who would never have contemplated that before.”
Pete works hard to engage the city’s universities and students with the project, helping to run history walks, photography courses, blogs and training to use the recording equipment and talking to people.
He also works closely with the School of Creative Arts bringing together young people with those who have been through tremendous sociological upheavals and lived to tell the tale. Whether in blitzed Plymouth or war-torn Syria.
100Homes is now expanding under a committed steering group of 20 people so that social isolation is continuing to be broken down with a wide variety of community activities and projects are spiralling off as people widen their interests – a book and play are underway; Walks with History regularly have 50-60 attendees to their history walks and talks of the area; and a live radio show is part of the curriculum for pupils of the Red House School.
Despite this flurry of activity, and the national interest shown for this expanding project, Pete remains very down to earth and committed to his original goals of bringing local people along with any project that’s about them.
He’s around every Tuesday morning from 10am at the Oasis Project Café’s residents’ coffee morning, and although he has well over 100 stories on tape, he’s always interested in knowing yours.
