Radical Archiving aims to reclaim community control over institutional structures that often gatekeep, enclose and dictate memory and narrative.
Radical Archiving is led by Artist and Archivist Erika Silverman.
Cataloguing
Building an archive that belongs to everyone.
The archive uses a multi-standard approach to cataloguing, drawing on established systems including the National Pipe Archive standard for clay pipes, ISAD-G for paper archives and SPECTRUM for collections and objects.
Rather than applying a single hierarchy, this approach opens up connections between community and local archives across both sites and creates a wealth of metadata that reflects the full breadth of what is held.
Don't know what any of that means? Come along to an open event and find out.
Archive and Research Circle
Regular sessions for drop-in research, hands-on learning and collective exploration. The programme runs fortnightly archive and research meet-ups across both sites, where you can drop in without missing anything.
Both the Pipe Factory and Barrowfield Weaving Factory archives are also open by appointment throughout the week for those who want to explore the collections or volunteer on their own terms.
Across its run, the programme adapts to the needs and interests of its participants, with collective learning at the heart of how it develops.
Volunteering
Volunteering with the archive is open to everyone, whatever your background or experience. Across the Pipe Factory and Barrowfield Weaving Factory, you might catalogue collections, carry out social or historical research, or simply explore topics that interest you.
With no set structure, you can dip in and out, work independently or alongside others, and receive one-to-one support whenever you need it.
The skills on offer are wide-ranging, and the person-led approach means your involvement benefits both you and the archive as a whole.
Special Events
Alongside the regular programme, special events offer a chance to explore specific skills or themes in more depth, drawing on the distinct histories and collections of both the Pipe Factory and the Barrowfield Weaving Factory.
Past and upcoming events have included a two-day saggar firing workshop with ceramicist Fionn Duffy, archive box sessions with Juju Books, history talks with Peter Mortimer, and a collage workshop drawing on the archive's visual materials.
Keep an eye on what's on for the latest.
Contact Us
Telephone: +44 141 554 0563
E-mail: erika@strangefield.org
Address: 62 Moncur Street, Glasgow, G40 2SL
Strange Field is a registered Scottish Charity SCIO number SC052132
