Our work

Our aim is to publicise the Conan Doyle Collection locally and internationally. To do this, we attend and create local events and work with other partners on projects to promote access and to the Collection.

City Of Stories

 

Portsmouth City Council have been awarded a grant by Arts Council England to deliver the project City of Stories. A two year programme of activities consisting of a festival of stories, creative writing, storytelling and narratives via a range of media. This work will be inspired by the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection, that of other local writers and the City Archive.

Writers, poets, storytellers and artists will inspire a creative programme and stories will be celebrated through:

• Four story centres based within four of the libraries
• Summers of Sherlock, 2018 & 2019
• Portsmouth Short Story Competitions, children and adults
• Book Fest
• City Read - Stardust by Neil Gaiman 2018, TBC 2019
• Poet in Residence, Portsmouth History Centre
• Conan Doyle group workshops in History Centre

The programme will provide networking and support to enhance a robust literary community.to deliver beyond the life of the project.

Our key aims are:

• Celebrate Portsmouth stories from the archives
• Provide inspirational opportunities for people to learn from the archives
• To increase participation with archives by transforming means of access
• To raise awareness of archives and enhance the sense of ownership and
• community cohesion
• Increase the number and breadth of residents engaging with great writers and
• storytellers
• Embed partnerships between cultural partners and creative providers
• To build skills and resilience in staff and volunteers

See here for more details

ARVON Writers Residency

In January 2018, 8 blind and partially sighted writers and 5 sighted writers took part in an opportunity to have a week long residency at The Hurst in Shropshire. The week was supported by tutors Jake Arnott and KerryYoung. Using the theme of crime writing, each writer developed their practice, and will be showcasing their work in Portsmouth, Summer 2018.

RNIB Sensing Culture

Sensory Exhibition

We have been working with the Royal National Institute for the Blind on a project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund to assist five museums in the South East in making their collections more accessible for blind and partially sighted visitors.
 
The Conan Doyle Collection has developed a mini touring exhibition which will give visitors with visual impairments or other disabilities the ability to experience the Collection through audio description and handling objects with a difference. 

If you would like to hire the exhibition, please contact Laura - Laura.Weston@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.

Find out more about Sensing Culture

Sensing Culture Website