Carnegie's Building Inclusive Communites report Oct 2009

The voices of seasonal and migrant workers in rural areas

Migrant Stories our DVD and booklet, contains 18 digital stories, a Myth Busting section by a diversity officer, and a short film about the process of making digital stories, and is available (cost £10.00) from The Rural Media Company. For more information contact: nataliep@ruralmedia.co.uk

The project has created a picture of a rural county's relationship with its many thousands of migrant workers. Russian, Lithuanian, Bulgarian, Polish, Czech and Ukrainian workers in Herefordshire have been making digital stories, alongside local residents, who befriended them.

Welcome to Hereford provides useful information for migrant and seasonal workers.

Migrant Stories was an action research project to demonstrate the use of accessible, creative digital technologies to foster understanding and strengthen community cohesion and networks.

Using microphones, laptops, scanners and photos, each person tells a short 2-minute digital story about their own experience. There are many different reasons for coming to England - to see the sights, to broaden horizons, to make money to buy a house back home, to escape unemployment. Many are homesick, lonely and disappointed by what they find here and exploited by agents, who don't deliver what they promise. Many have a good time and return to pick fruit every summer or decide to stay for years. The Herefordshire locals who get to know them say their lives are enriched by new friendships, activities and travel opportunities.

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Myth Busting - A diversity officer counters popular misconceptions about migrant working:-

Use the Migrant Stories DVD and booklet for local community meetings and staff training sessions. 

Pilot screenings suggest the DVD will be a useful for local authority community workers, diversity officers, health, nursing and care workers, teachers in schools and further education, politicians, police church and charity workers, employers and journalists.

In May 2008 there was a national mailing to public, voluntary and community organisations across England.  Please see below for the full project report, on the use of digital storytelling as a technique to build understanding between communities and deepen consultative processes.

 Read the full project report