Interview with Laura Alston

 

An Open Ground was an exhibition and wider research project that looks at issues surrounding historical storytelling, inner city gentrification and the complex issues surrounding heritage and rapid development.

During the months preceding the exhibition, researcher and historian, Laura Alston, spent time finding out about the unique history of the area surrounding Bloc Projects, working closely with Sheffield Archives and other online sources. Alston produced a piece of text telling the stories of the previous inhabitants, including tales of industry, personal accounts of the area and even uncovering the site of a circus dating back to the late 1800’s.

We spoke to Laura about her involvement in the project, what new information she found through her research and how she approaches a project like this as an emotional historian.


 
 
 
ArchiveBloc ProjectsResources