Through the generations: Tamil oral history project, a one-year oral history project supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund, is currently recruiting volunteers to help document the narratives and experiences of the Tamil community in London.

The project, jointly delivered by Race on the Agenda and the Tamil Community Centre, is looking for volunteers with an interest in oral history, Tamil history and culture, diaspora and migration studies, social media, documentary film or social policy to join our mixed-media research team. 

Through the generations: Tamil oral history project is a one-year oral history project narrated and conducted by different generations of Tamils in London. The project uses oral history, documentary film and social media to capture and communicate the stories of the Tamil-speaking people of the island of Sri Lanka, and their descendants, who migrated to London between 1958 – 2009.

About the placements

Volunteer placements are expected to last between 3 and 6 months (1 to 2 days per week) and will be focused in one or more of the following areas of work:

·        Oral history research and transcription

·        Social media, documentary film and digital communications

·        Heritage and archival work

Placements are flexible and there will be a number of opportunities to join the project throughout the year. Volunteers will be selected after an informal interview. Volunteer placements are part-time, unpaid positions, although lunch and travel expenses will be reimbursed within reasonable limits. We aim to have our first volunteer group in place by 15 February 2012.

We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity among our volunteers. We would like to encourage all groups of people to volunteer with us regardless of age, disability, gender, religion or belief, race, refugee/migration status or sexual orientation.

About the partners

ROTA is a research and social policy organisation focused on race equality in health, education and criminal justice. The Tamil Community Centre provides advice and information for Tamil speaking migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

For more information, or to register your interest, please contact Ryan Mahan, Project Officer: ryan@rota.org.uk or 0207 842 8532.