Open Call: Preserving Arab & SWANA Cultural Memory in London – Opportunities

Are you aged 18–30, from an Arab & South West Asian or North African (SWANA) or mixed heritage background, and curious about your family’s history?

Shubbak is looking for young Londoners of Arab & SWANA heritage living in Brent & Westminster to participate in an oral histories project documenting intergenerational cultural memory & family stories!

We’re inviting 12 young people to join us on a journey where we learn and reflect together and build a living archive of Arab & SWANA cultural memory in London. Documenting the living histories of residents of Brent & Westminster, this is a unique opportunity to work in pairs with your mother, grandmother, or an elder relative to record and preserve intergenerational stories of movement, belonging, resilience, learning and healing through the process of finding home in this city. You will gain access to training and mentorship support to shape your story, develop skills in oral history and archival practice, and contribute to an exhibition with the Brent Museum & Archives in early 2026!

What to expect

Training: In October, you’ll take part in a free oral history training where you learn how to design interviews, ethics & research, documenting life stories and preserve cultural memory for future generations.
Practice: You’ll be supported to interview your chosen elder, reflect on their experiences, and record their story.
Outputs: Each participant pair will submit one audio interview and written transcript or notes at the end.
Bursary: Participants will be paid London Living Wage at £13.85 per hour (up to 6 hours a month for 6 months) for their time.
Travel expense: Participants can claim up to £15 per day as travel support for in person sessions and recording days - to be agreed as .

These will become part of Brent’s archives and feature in a public exhibition celebrating Arab & SWANA heritage next years as a repository of community stories accessible to the public.

Timeline

October 2025: Ongoing training in Oral Histories & Archiving intangible heritage,
First session on 30th October 3-6 PM.
November–December 2026: Design interviews, develop questions and record interviews with elders, along with transcriptions and reflections of the experience
Jan-Feb 2026: Submit your stories and prepare for the exhibition at Brent Museum.
Time commitment: Upto 6 hours per month (flexible) for 6 months (Nov 2025 to Apr 2026).

Who we’re looking for

Young people (18–30) from Arab and / or SWANA and mixed heritage backgrounds, who have an interest in heritage and participatory cultural work - participants can be from any professional or educational background. If you are curious about your family stories and interested in exploring oral history and archiving techniques, this project is for you!

Through this process we will build slow momentum, intergenerational connection, and radical joy as we reflect back and connect with different parts of us. It’s a chance to honour our elders, preserve intangible cultural heritage, and contribute to a living archive of resilience and memory.

Interested creatives & aspiring producers will have the opportunity to progress into our Young Shubbak programme.

Apply now to be part of this unique journey.

How to Apply

To apply, send us your application via email at youngshubbak@shubbak.co.uk with a short statement (350-500 words) or video (3-5 mins) telling us about you and your idea for the project. You should include:

a bit about your background, interest and heritage
what makes you excited about this project and the family story you'd like to explore
why is it important to record your story now
what you hope to gain from the programme

Send your applications with the subject line: Application: SWANA Oral Histories_Your Name
You will also need to complete and submit our Equal Opportunities Monitoring form.

Please note: This open call is primarily for people living or working in Brent or Westminster, or those who have had a connection with the local community in these boroughs. Applicants from these boroughs will be prioritised. We will consider non-residents on their statements and relevance to the project aims.
We encourage everyone of Arab & SWANA heritage who would like to document a family / community story to apply.

Submit these latest by 12:00 noon, Tuesday 21 October 2025 (deadline extended).
We will aim to get back to selected applicants by 24th October with information on the training and next steps.
Selected participants will need to attend the first day of training on 30th October 3-6 PM.