Unboxing history at North East Wales Archives

Thanks to funding from the Archives and Records Council Wales (ARCW) Health and Wellbeing Grant, North East Wales Archives (NEWA) has partnered with the artist-led charity Making Sense to create three new story box collections designed specifically for people living with dementia and their carers.

Making Sense works with arts, heritage, care and cultural organisations to bring memories and stories to life in fresh and engaging ways, helping people build meaningful connections with the past and present. Together, we set out to explore how archives can support wellbeing, encourage conversation and spark treasured memories.

The result is three themed story boxes, each inspired by a different aspect of life in North East Wales:

• Entertainment
• Local Industry
• Rural Life

Each box contains copies of carefully selected archival material from NEWA’s collections, allowing participants to explore photographs, documents and other historic records connected to these themes. To make the experience even more immersive, the boxes also include a range of handling objects that complement the archive material, helping to bring history to life through touch, discussion and shared experiences.

By combining archival records with familiar objects, the story boxes offer new and accessible ways for people to engage with local history, reminisce and share their own stories.

Since completing the project earlier this year, we’ve been delighted to begin sharing the story boxes with local communities.

In March, the collections were showcased at the Dementia Aware Denbighshire Network event in Rhyl, giving us an opportunity to introduce the project to professionals and community groups working to support people living with dementia.

More recently, in June, we piloted the story boxes at Marleyfield House in Buckley. Community Engagement Officer Katie and newly appointed Archivist Chelsea spent the afternoon with residents, exploring the archive material and handling objects together.

The sessions sparked conversations, fond memories and personal stories, demonstrating the powerful role archives can play in connecting people with their past. From memories of local industries and rural traditions to favourite forms of entertainment, the boxes helped create moments of reflection and shared experience.

Seeing residents engage with the collections and share their memories has been a rewarding reminder that archives are about much more than preserving records. They are about people, stories and connections.

We look forward to continuing to share these story boxes across North East Wales and exploring new ways to make our collections accessible, meaningful and beneficial to local communities.

Ticky from Making Sense says: “It has been a privilege to create these new reminiscence collections, bringing together objects, photographs and archive material that celebrate the rich heritage of our local communities. Each collection has been carefully researched and curated, connecting everyday objects with local places, events and stories preserved in the archives, while ensuring they are tactile, interactive and accessible for people of all ages and abilities.One of the greatest rewards is hearing how the collections are used in care homes and intergenerational groups.

Seeing local heritage spark memories, conversations and shared storytelling demonstrates the unique power of museum and archive collections to connect people with their past, strengthen community identity and create meaningful moments between generations. Every story that is shared helps keep our local heritage alive for the future.”