Past Work

Helen Lloyd has recorded hundreds of life-stories for numerous successful oral history projects including work for the BBC, Oxford University, the National Trust, national and regional libraries, and community groups all around the UK

She has won a Race in the Media Award (Commission for Racial Equality), IT in Teaching and Learning Award (Oxford University), and her work was chosen as a Research Highlight by the Wellcome Trust

Click below for examples of Helen’s work in the following areas…

  1. Recording life-stories & themed interviews
  2. Project management & consultancy
  3. Audio editing for websites, CDs, exhibitions & museum installations
  4. Training young people & adults
  5. Lectures for conferences & seminars
  6. Talks to community groups

1. Recording life-stories and themed interviews

200 of Helen’s life-story recordings are housed in the British Library Sound Archive and hundreds more in archives around the UK

2. Project management and consultancy

  • Previous work has involved: Selection and recording of interviewees; Project organisation and administration; Training of interviewers; Ensuring maximum accessibility of recordings through a variety of media and lectures

3. Audio editing for websites, exhibitions, museums and CDs.

Helen has edited short audio extracts, features, and radio series for national & local broadcasters, the BBC World Service, museums, libraries and commercial CDs.

For examples – see Audio Extracts and Publications

Previous work includes:

Oxford University’s Diabetes Stories; the BBC’s award-winning The Century Speaks; Grand Memories; Digital Handsworth; installations and website audio features for London Canal Museum; tour audio and Memories of Back to Backs CD for National Trust Back to Backs

4. Training/Education for young people and adults

Before Helen specialised in oral history, she provided training in interviewing techniques for university & college students, and BBC staff & freelancers.

Since specialising in oral history, she has trained many young people and adults:

Young people

  • Young people aged 8 to 15 to interview retired miners for Biddulph East Oral History Public Art Project
  • Teenagers interviewed Port Vale Football Club players & match-goers for the Port Vale Tales project
  • Young people aged 10 to 18 worked on Wolverhampton Grand Theatre’s Grand Memories project
  • Sixth-formers from Codsall Community High School recorded a history of their school

Adults

  • Volunteers have been taught interviewing techniques for projects organised by the London Canal Museum, African Heritage Initiative, New Forest Trust, Birmingham Central Library, the BBC, local history societies and many more.
  • Archivists and other professionals have been given training in recording and interviewing techniques, transcription, and summary writing.

5. Lectures for conferences and seminars

Previous lecture topics include:

  • The Oral History of Diabetes, international conferences in Oxford, Copenhagen, Boston and San Diego.
  • Regional identities, European Oral History Seminar in Birmingham
  • Recording older people, National Reminiscence Network
  • BBC The Century Speaks Project, Oral History Society
  • Theatre oral history, Society for Theatre Research
  • The role of oral history in construction of identity, Dalit Conference

6. Talks to community groups

Helen regularly speaks to:

  • Schools & colleges
  • Groups for retired people
  • Local history societies
  • Churches
  • Charities
  • Meetings of societies, such as Inner Wheel, National Association of Decorative & Fine Arts Societies, National Trust Association, Probus, Rotary, University of the Third Age and Women’s Institutes