Southern Voices Project Papers

This collection relates to the establishment and development of the organisation Southern Voices, originally named Southern Voices Project, documenting its legal framework and detailing its day to day work through papers such as meeting agendas and minutes, workshop plans and evaluation sheets, correspondence and applications for funding. There is material that relates to Manchester's overseas student population and the way Southern Voices employed students of Southern origins as ambassadors for nurturing an understanding of the cultures of their home countries. Other documents give an overview of the kinds of collaborative workshops Southern Voices was running with institutions such as Manchester Museum and Tate Liverpool, as well as local schools. A large proportion of the correspondence relates to fundraising and applications for funding are included in the collection. Budgets and project planning documents give a sense of the fluctuating financial status of the organisation.

Celia Marshall, founded the organisation, on returning to Manchester from Ghana, where she had been working with the Voluntary Services Overseas. She wanted to give a voice to people from Africa and Asia (overseas students, for example), who felt that their countries of origin were being misrepresented. Seed money was gained for the organisation from the VSO between 1991 and 1993 and between 1994 and 2003, the organisation went on to gain three European funding grants. They also received smaller funding grants from organisations such as Oxfam and Christian Aid. Jaya Graves was one of the first full time employees.

The material is organised into the following series:

• Organisation - Reports

• Workshops, photographs and other images

• Feedback and evaluation

• Project planning

• Leaflets and booklets

• Applications

• Correspondence

• To do lists / schedules

• Organisation

• Meeting agendas

• Meeting minutes / notes

• Financial

• Legal

• Audio-visual

24 hours notice is required to view this collection. Material will then be accessible through Manchester Central Library Search Room, Manchester Central Library, St Peters Square, Manchester, M2 5PD. To access this collection please: Contact the archive

The collection began being collated at the Development Education Project (DEP), Manchester Metropolitan University, 801 Wilmslow Road, Didsbury, Manchester, where the organisation was first based. The organisation then moved to Oxford Road, Whitworth Park (above Oxfam) and then to St Peter's House, University Precinct Centre c.1994. The collection was then moved back to the DEP. Some of the business material was kept at the home of the treasurer/secretary, Dave Cooke. When the DEP moved out of MMU, the material was donated to the Centre but some of the original collection was lost at this time. Dave Cooke donated the remaining material to the Centre because of the support the organisation and especially the director, Jackie Ould, had given Southern Voices.

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