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Foundling Voices

Foundling Voices

Telling the stories of former pupils of the Foundling Hospital Schools

The Foundling Hospital eventually closed its doors in 1954. Over the preceding 200 years it had cared for more than 20,000 children and many of those that grew up in the Hospital during the 20th century are still alive.

Over the next four years the Foundling Museum will be running Foundling Voices, a Heritage Lottery funded project which aims to preserve the memories of former pupils of the Hospital.  The experiences of the 20th century pupils will provide insight into the Foundling archives and speak directly to a twenty-first century audience through their themes of families, parents and children, love, loss and separation, citizenship, education and growing up.

The project plans to:

• Collect 80 oral history interviews with former pupils and house a copy at London Metropolitan Archives

• Stage a six month exhibition in the Museum’s exhibition gallery

• Create a touring exhibition to locations connected with the Foundling story

• Produce and perform a piece of theatre

• Develop educational materials and programmes

• Hold a rap/poetry competition for young people

• Create a downloadable, audio trail of Ashlyn’s School, Berkhamsted, (last surviving Foundling Hospital site)

• Create a project website

• Provide opportunities for volunteers to learn transcription, filming and editing skills

If you are interested in finding out more about the project please contact either Sarah Lowry or Alison Duke.

Tel: 020 7833 1148 or alison.duke@foundlingmuseum.org.uk

Tel: 020 7837 3267 or sarah.lowry@foundlingmuseum.org.uk