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Explore Your Archive Week begins tomorrow. We caught up with Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ Archive and Special Collections Manager Katharine Short whose team is using the week to celebrate and educate about Âéw¶¹´«Ã½’s long and esteemed history. She spoke to us about the origins of the archive, some of their most exciting new pieces and why understanding history is so important to our identity.

What’s happening this week?

“Explore Your Archive Week is a national campaign with daily themes, inviting people to visit their local archive. This week we’re inviting staff, students and local people to come and explore, and find out more about Âéw¶¹´«Ã½’s history especially.

“It’s surprising how many staff and students don’t know how long Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ has been around. In March, the Leicester School of Art turned 155, and that's a direct predecessor of Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ today. So, this year for Explore Your Archive Week, we're exploring the history of Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ in its 155th year.

“In the archive, we have a lot of rich materials that explore that history. Âéw¶¹´«Ã½'s contribution to Leicester, the way that education has changed over the years, the different types of students that we've had here. There's such a rich and exciting history to explore within the archive, so we're welcoming everyone to join us!”

Who can visit the archive?

“Anyone is welcome to visit the archive. Lots of people think you have to be an academic or researching a special project, but that’s not true, you can just come in.

“It’s actually quite a different experience to visiting an art gallery or museum, where you tend to get kicked out if you touch things! At our archive it’s much more tactile – we have a 500-year-old document that you’re welcome to come and see and touch and feel.”

How did you come by that sword? And the new armour?

“Trinity Building used to be a hospital, but when I say a hospital, obviously not like A&E. It was providing healthcare to poor, infirm people from as early as the Middle-Ages. They had veterans there from the Leicestershire militia, which was based at the magazine, just next door, and had the armour on the walls of the chapel, like you sometimes get in English cathedrals.

“It was quite surreal collecting the new pieces, which I picked up from Newarke House Museum. I then had to walk across campus with halberds and pikes in my arms. I thought, do I need to have some sort of permit to be carrying this sort of weaponry?”

“We reached out to someone to see if they could help us with dating it, and we think that it’s English Civil War era, the 1640s. The sword, shield and buckler are likely ceremonial pieces, not made for combat. And we think the Wyvern painted on there is later, a Victorian addition. We also have quite a few pikes in our collection!”

Why is exploring history important at Âéw¶¹´«Ã½?

“I recently taught a module on the History of Education with teacher training students, and Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ became a case study for them in how higher education changes impacted us over the twentieth century. And a couple of things really struck me. Firstly, how technical and vocational education have been regularly under threat over the years. And, secondly, that even though our name has changed so many times over the years, we still very much have the same the same goals as an institution as we had when we started.

“Because so much has changed about Âéw¶¹´«Ã½’s identity over the years, and especially the name, I think it's hard for staff and students now to feel connected to the Leicester School of Art and to know that we have that history behind us – that you are part of a continuous chain of education going back 155 years. I think the archive can play quite an important role in helping to feel that connection for our contemporary student staff body, because we do have a rich history and over the years we’ve contributed so much to not only Leicester and Leicestershire, but nationally as well. We have been a very well-renowned institution for a very long time.”

Explore Your Archive Week runs from 29 November to 7 December. The Archive and Special Collections team will be posting daily on , , and on the theme of the each day.

Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ Special Collections is located in Kimberlin Library on campus and is open to any staff, student, or member of the public from Tuesday to Friday. Booking an appointment is preferred but not essential. or email archives@dmu.ac.uk to find out more.