FOR THE FUTURE
Help us collect today’s stories
for tomorrow’s museum
The COVID 19 pandemic has led to many changes for all of us - both personally and across our communities. At Linlithgow Museum we are keen to ensure that we are able to record this unique period so that people in the future will understand what the changes meant to us now, and how the town responded.
There are a number of ways that we would like you to help us to do this.
Send us photographs or videos that you feel express something about this unique period - perhaps a record of a rainbow, chalk drawing or supermarket queues - something that for you captures something of Linlithgow in 2020, for better or for worse.
Send us your thoughts on this period either by email, a photo of a letter, or through an audio or video recording. Full details on how to submit these are below.
Do you have any other objects - physical or digital - that we should be collecting to represent this time period in Linlithgow? We are your museum - consider what you’d want us to show off if your descendants visited in 50 years time.
We’ve included some example photos and videos on this page to hopefully spark some ideas - but we want to hear from you!
Please note that if you send us something, it may be used on our website, as part of a future exhibition about the time, or may be added to our collection and kept for researchers of the future. If you would like to give us something but would prefer it not to be used for any or part of the above then just let us know. We can’t promise to use everything, but we’d love to see it!
NB: We can’t collect actual physical artefacts at the moment - but send us a photo of what you’d like to donate, and we will see what we can do after lockdown is over!
SEND US YOUR photoS!
NHS Thank you messages chalked on the road near Linlithgow Academy, 25 April 2020; just two days later they had washed away in the rain.
You can email us one or more photos, that capture something of this time. Please tell us roughly where it was taken, what it is of, and why you think it is interesting.
Email photos to thefuture@linlithgowmuseum.org
We’re particularly interested to capture moments that are ephemeral or fleeting, or that would otherwise be lost.
Photos should be as high quality (bigger size) as possible. Please include your name and postcode in the email. Photos can be in most popular image formats, but .jpg files are preferred.
If your photo includes people, make sure they know you are sending it in. You can also photograph drawings, leaflets, signs or anything else - be creative!
Record a video or audio clip!
Use your smartphone, laptop webcam or video camera, and record a video or audio message to us. Tell us a story, have recorded the sound of the Thursday Night Clap, or play the pipes to cheer up the neighbours - it’s up to you - see below for some prompts and ideas.
Whatever you send us, please start off the recording by reading this copyright statement ‘My name is …. and I give Linlithgow museum permission to make use of this recording’ - otherwise we might not be able to use it!
You can then email us the clips to thefuture@linlithgowmuseum.org or send us a Dropbox or other download link if the file is too big to email.
The questions below are designed to prompt thoughts and ideas - they are not as a list of questions to follow rigidly with the exception of the copyright statement in bold which should be included at the start of any video or audio recordings.
Introduce yourself and include the copyright statement ‘My name is …. and I give Linlithgow museum permission to make use of this recording’.
What is your connection with Linlithgow?
What did you think of the lockdown in Wuhan and what impact did you think it would have on you?
Were you surprised at how the lockdown turned out and why?
Have you been able to continue to work during lockdown and how has your working and home life changed during lockdown?
How has your personal life changed during lockdown and how has the virus affected you personally?
What has changed in the town during lockdown?
What do you think the next 6 months will hold for the town and for you personally?
What do you hope will be different when this is over?
Do you think things will go back to ‘normal’ or what will the new normal look like?
Is there anything else that you want to add? Please do or tell us!