Oral History Project Coordinator

  • Part time
  • £26,000 pro-rata
  • Hybrid: Edinburgh
  • Closing 11th November 2024


  • Advertised from 14th October 2024
  • 12 hours per week. Fixed term until March 2026

Role

Could you make a difference for members of the LGBT+ community in Edinburgh and beyond?

The Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive has grown out of Scotland’s first LGBT+ bookshops, Lavender Menace (1982-87) and West & Wilde (1987-97). They sold what we now call queer books – by, about or for LGBT+ people – at a time mainstream bookshops would not stock them. The bookshops also provided openly queer meeting places, where LGBT+ people were able to connect and felt affirmed and welcomed.

Bob Orr and Sigrid Nielsen, the owners of the original Lavender Menace Bookshop, in 2019 founded the Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive to keep this valuable LGBT+ book heritage alive and share it with the community. Through its amazing collection of books, the archive tells the story of queer people’s resistance, and the rise of what is now known as ‘queer pride’. These books told the stories of queer lives; they were written honestly and positively for the first time, and they changed lives.

This post represents a unique opportunity to work with Edinburgh’s Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive to develop an Oral History Project (OHP). The OHP will explore the impact and legacy of the Lavender Menace and West & Wilde Bookshops (1982-97), and more generally community experiences of reading LGBT+ books and magazines, and ways reading – now and in the past – has impacted on their identity. Stories and interpretation will be shared online as well as through a programme of events and a temporary exhibition.

The Oral History Project’s key activities are:

  • Recruiting, supporting, training and coordinating volunteers to become involved in the OHP.
  • Identifying OHP interview participants and devise ways to capture the individual and collective voices and stories of LGBT+ community members.
  • Working with partners and stakeholders in the development and delivery of the project.
  • Acting as the main point of contact for the volunteers and interviewees, to arrange and set up interviews, liaise with volunteers and interviewees.
  • Ensuring policies, systems and processes are in place to collect, store and use all audio and visual material collected.
  • Promoting the OHP and its programme of events, creating materials for use on social media, website and in the temporary exhibition, and ensuring the Archive’s profile is raised through these activities.

These activities build on the existing programme of events and projects under the responsibility of the Community Project Coordinator with the team of volunteers. The post holder will thus be able to tap into their experience, contacts and knowledge in taking this work forward.

Employee benefits package

  • 35 days of leave (pro-rata including public holidays)
  • Enhanced pension scheme
  • Flexible working options
  • Training and development opportunities

Application notes

For further information and to apply, please download the Role Profile, Application Form and Terms and Conditions.

Closing date: Monday 11th November 2024, Noon

Interview Date: 30th November 2024 (in person in Edinburgh - details confirmed to successful candidates no later than 20th November 2024)

Expected start date: January 2024 (subject to agreement)

Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive is working towards being an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all members of the community, irrespective of age; disability; gender reassignment; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion and belief; sex and sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership status.

Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive is the trading name of Lavender Menace CIC, a not-for-profit community interest company. Number: SC663479

Find out more about Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive


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