Connecting past and present care experiences

We are digitising the oldest records in our archive to preserve Coram’s unique history, help care-experienced young people connect with their predecessors, and enrich thinking about care today.

Through our Voices Through Time: The Story of Care programme, we are digitising the earliest part of our Foundling Hospital Archive to preserve our unique historical record of care. This programme also enables today’s young people to explore experiences of care past and present, knowledge they can then bring to discussions on the future of care.

 

Our ambitious five-year programme, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, is opening up the earliest part of our archive, which dates back to the establishment of the Foundling Hospital in 1739, and ensuring it is available for generations to come.

In parallel, we run a varied programme of creative projects that enable young people to explore the relationship between past and present care systems, equipping them with a deep understanding that informs their contributions to research into the development of care policies.

We bring young people together with professional artists to respond creatively to the history of the Foundling Hospital and how care has changed from the 1740s to the present day. We aim to bring to life stories of care through the ages and inspire thinking for how care can evolve in the future.

The creative projects include creative writing, a spoken-word performance, an exhibition, a documentary film, a theatre production, an audio walking tour, and a public artwork.

“Learning about Coram’s archive was an invaluable experience - it was fascinating, heart-breaking and inspiring… I feel like I have a deeper understanding of myself by understanding the experiences of the looked-after children who came before me.”
Nkechi, who took part in a Voices Through Time creative project

Campaign to challenge stigma

Our campaign #RealStoriesOfCare aims to challenge negative perceptions of care-experienced young people, and to help people understand that care doesn’t have to define who you are, or who you can be.

Follow the campaign on our social channels:

Instagram @coram.uk

Twitter @Coram #RealStoriesOfCare 

Facebook /Coramsince1739  #RealStoriesOfCare