Before Easter, members of the Collective enjoyed a day brainstorming, strategising, and sharing ideas to the backdrop of sunshine (and hail!) by a North Sea beach for the annual Research Retreat. All the Collective’s current projects were represented and members brought expertise from their various backgrounds in planning, graphic design, and archives, to name a few. 

With various projects and community partnerships across the North East and beyond on the go at any given time, it’s rare so many members of the Collective are able to gather together. This was a valuable chance to catch up, meet new faces, and plan for the Collective’s future. Researchers from all stages and walks of the process were present, from recent graduates and PhD students to community oral historians and established lecturers and professors. Emerging researchers learnt from more established oral historians and had a chance to present their own work.  

Two key topics for the day were care and collaboration. Workshops on both generated productive discussion and strategies for future outputs and deepening collaboration within the Collective and with community partners. Much energy was devoted to issues of care and ethics in research practice, particularly when working with partners outside academia. Shared positions on heritage, memory, and collaboration were worked towards, and REF 2029 was kept in mind throughout. Ruminations on the position of the Collective within the University were heard, and its distinct identity compared to Strathclyde or Nottingham Trent’s oral history hubs was reinforced.  The Research Retreat was made possible by Research and Innovation funding, which was also instrumental in enabling members based outside the North East to attend – including from over 300 miles away! Thanks also to Newcastle University for the use of the Dove Marine laboratory site in Cullercoats – hardly a more inspiring setting to be found.