Projects
Claire has worked on a number of collaborative projects with national and local partners from across the museum, archive, heritage and education sectors. Details of some of her most recent projects can be found below.
Environments of Change
In February 2022 Claire became a Collaborator on the Environments of Change project. Environments of Change is a transdisciplinary collaboration supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) to explore, from multiple perspectives, the environmental history of late medieval Sussex using emerging digital tools. It aims to understand the reciprocal relationship between humans and nature in the past and, in so doing, to apply these frameworks to present situations and contexts. It develops digital tools and resources that allow individuals to understand the complex and dynamic relationship between societies and the natural world.
In particular Claire is interested in how the changing medieval environment in the South East was recorded and reflected in fourteenth century chronicles. Her research hopes to draw new insights from interdisciplinary research utilising scientific data, literary and historical studies.
The Battle of Lewes Walking Trail
In March 2021 Claire worked on a project with The Company, specialists in site-specific and community theatre, who had been commissioned by the South Downs National Park Association (SDNPA) to interpret the Battle of Lewes site (Landport Bottom) for visitors in a way that is engaging and suitable for both adults and families. For this project Claire filmed several short videos with actor Mark Williams (Harry Potter, Father Ted and The Fast Show) which will be accessed by QR codes placed at strategic points around the site and on the SDNPA Website.
The Company’s artistic directors Stephen Isreal and Suzi Hopkins, Sussex based filmmakers Luke and Jack Gallie and local actors Nicholas Boulton, Michael Webber and Mark Williams have all been working on this project which is supported by the SDNPA, the Chalk Cliff Trust and Lewes Town Council
Historical Association Teacher Fellow Programme
In September 2021 Claire will be the lead academic on the Local History Teacher Fellowship Programme run by the Historical Association and the British Association for Local History. The course will be led by Claire, Michael Riley, Senior Teaching Fellow at the UCL Institute of Education and Bev Forrest, Chair of the HA’s primary committee and an experienced primary history teacher and trainer.
At the heart of the programme is the concept of integrating local history into the classroom through the stories of the people and places which make the history of local communities exciting and unique. Through the lens of local history this fellowship will explore a variety of time periods and a range of sources and approaches including the built environment, local museum collections, archival documents and digital resources.
Participants will work with historians, archivists and history education specialists to explore the myriad ways in which local history can be incorporated into their teaching practice.
Medieval Educational Resources for the Milton Keynes City Discovery Centre
In 2021 Claire worked with the Milton Keynes City Discovery centre (MKCDC) to produce a new suite of online educational resources exploring the medieval and early Tudor history of the Bradwell Abbey site. Covering topics including late medieval religion, the impact of the Black Death and the early Tudor Reformation, Claire used primary source materials, historical interpretations and site-specific evidence to create three resource packs which uncover the history of the abbey for school learners aged 14-18 (Key Stages 4 and 5). To accompany the launch of the resource packs Claire delivered a webinar entitled ‘Bradwell Priory: The Life and Times of a Medieval Institution’ which was attended by teachers and history enthusiasts from across the UK, the USA and India.
Digital Engagement Fellow, British Association for Local History
In September 2020 Claire was appointed as the British Association for Local History’s first Digital Engagement Fellow. Claire oversees the BALH’s digital engagement strategy and works with the Website Manager, Social Media Fellow and Outreach Team to deliver a number of digital events and initiatives. Since joining the BALH, Claire has started the ‘Local History Matters’ podcast, which she presents and edits, featuring speakers from across the local history world. She has also established a full programme of online events including webinars, digital skills training sessions and Ten-Minute Talk videos and is working with teachers from across the country to produce a range of online local history teaching resources.
The ‘Local History Matters’ podcast can be found on iTunes, Spotify and the BALH website and the latest Ten-Minute Talks can be viewed here.
To see upcoming digital events please see here.
Tudor Chamber Books Project
In 2020 Claire has been working with the Tudor Chamber Books Project at the University of Winchester to create a range of self-guided student study resources. The resources focus on developing the skills of Key Stage 4 and 5 students as historical researchers, using the Chamber Books database to find out about Henry VII’s spending and how important money was in securing his reign.
The resources for this project can be viewed here.
Digitising the Dissolution
In 2019, as part of her AHRC Creative Economy Engagement Fellowship with The National Archives, Claire collaborated with Chertsey Museum to produce a range of digital resources exploring the history and legacy of Chertsey Abbey. Claire was the historical consultant for two short videos aimed at Key Stage 4 and 5 students (aged 14-18) studying the English Reformation. The first video explored the history of Chertsey Abbey from its foundation until its heyday through a variety of artefacts held at Chertsey Museum and a number of documents held at The National Archives. The second video explored the Dissolution of Chertsey Abbey and the legacy of the abbey in the local community. To accompany the videos, Claire produced a digital resource pack, containing primary source excerpts and suggested activities for school students.
The videos can be viewed below and the resource pack can be downloaded here.
Peterloo to the Pankhursts: 19th Century Radicalism and Reform
In 2019 Claire was a researcher and featured contributor for the Massive Open Online Course ‘Peterloo to the Pankhursts: 19th Century Radicalism and Reform’ which was hosted on the FutureLearn platform. This was part of her AHRC Creative Economy Engagement Fellowship at the The National Archives and was produced in partnership with Royal Holloway, University of London and the People’s History Museum.
Claire published several blog posts with The National Archives as part of this project which can be read here.
Examples of the work Claire produced for the course can be seen below and more details about the course and how to join can be found here.
Beyond the Ballot: Women’s Rights and Suffrage from 1866 - Today
In 2018, as part of the Citizens 800 project at Royal Holloway, University of London, Claire was the lead educator for this new Massive Open Online Course which was launched as part of the centenary celebrations for some women getting the vote for the first time. This course was produced in partnership with Parliament and is hosted on the FutureLearn platform.
Claire’s interview with Stylist about the course can be read here.
An example of the work Claire did in collaboration with the Women’s Library Collection at LSE Library can be viewed below. More details about the course and how to join can be found here.