Throughout 2018, the European Year of Cultural Heritage, Europeana, with partner museums, galleries, libraries and archives across Europe, are running a series of migration collection days.
The next event will be this coming weekend, at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin, on 26-27 May.
Irish people who have lived abroad and returned home, or those who have family members or ancestors who have emigrated, are invited to come and share their stories with us.
The Irish are a nation of emigrants whose history and identity has been shaped by the comings and goings of people for millennia. Emigration is no longer the one way journey it was in the past. Many have lived overseas and returned. Europeana and EPIC want to preserve these accounts as well as those of long standing diaspora communities.
EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum is an interactive experience located in Dublin city centre, which uncovers the dramatic and inspiring stories of the Irish who travelled the world, from early times to the modern day. The world’s only fully digital museum features 1500 years of Irish history and relives some of the greatest achievements in music, literature, sport, politics, fashion and science.
All you need to do is arrive on the day (from 10am – 5pm) with your story and bring along one or more objects that are part of your or your family’s migration story. They can be any sort of object: letters, postcards, photographs, tickets, diaries, artworks, items of clothing, recipes, books, footage, mementos, badges, or songs. Our team will transcribe your story and photograph your objects before returning them to you.
Two further Emigrant Stories Collecting Weekends will take place during 2018 at EPIC. On August 18-19, the focus will be on New Irish Communities, while on November 24-25 stories of women’s migration will be collected.
Take part, attend the event, share your story and shape our culture!