Over the summer of 2022, SCA is contributing to a pilot research project called Outreach to Ownership which is managed by Historic England and Historic Environment Scotland and supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. SCA is working with several organisations, including Tasglann nan Eilean, Pink Saltire and Govanhill Baths on the research project.

SCA’s contribution to the Outreach to Ownership project is called EVERYONE’S STORIES MATTER, DEVELOPING INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE FOR COMMUNITY ARCHIVES. SCA will explore the obstacles and opportunities around managing and sharing community archival material, particularly in areas such as digital inclusion, digital preservation, access to archives, cataloguing, and addressing inequalities. Using a combination of workshops, interviews, case studies and real-life experience, the project will deliver research which provides evidence and data to inform decision-making and practice in community archives.

SCA is committed to engaging with small and diverse groups to help them record and catalogue their stories in a way that is inclusive, accessible and standardised. SCA has a track record of supporting community groups, and is particularly interested in building partnerships between volunteer-led archive groups and official repositories such as local authorities and universities who can offer expert advice.

Dr Ellie Pridgeon has been contracted to lead on the research.