Clothes Talk was a project that brought history to life for young people
in the Wokingham Borough. Funded by a £25,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant, Clothes Talk gave local young people the chance to create their own media projects based on the vintage clothes that form part of the Berkshire Costume Service’s collection.
The young people created their own videos around separate vintage items of clothing and accessories from the costume service. Projects ranged from studying the history of uniforms or top hats to looking at changing shapes and sizes of women’s underwear.
Participating young people had the opportunity to develop their projects and skills, supported by Real Time Video, an educational charity specialising in participatory arts projects. Berkshire Record Office suppied additional expertise in seeking out historical information such as maps or old photographs of shop fronts or fashions. The projects were brought together as multi-media exhibition and DVD.
