Hidden Stories: Launch of the FARO project

Together with Stichting OPEN and the Network Digital Heritage (NDE), Knooppunt “Sprekende geschiedenis” has launched the project Hidden Stories: Preserving, Connecting, and Presenting Oral History, made possible with support from the FARO program.

Sustainably preserving, documenting, and presenting oral history collections often proves challenging, especially for smaller (local) organizations, communities, and volunteer initiatives. However, these groups frequently have access to surprising stories and new perspectives on tangible and intangible heritage, which can be captured and shared with a broader audience through oral history.

The goal of the Hidden Stories project is to collaborate with various heritage partners and local initiatives across three provinces to explore how a practical (provincial) support structure can be established. This structure will help local and regional oral history initiatives to independently preserve, document, and present their interview collections with light support—simple, accessible, and compliant with NDE standards. The project will focus on developing suitable collection registration systems, metadata standards, and terminology lists that enhance searchability and connectivity. Additionally, it will investigate options for providing local support for transcription, sustainable preservation, and presentation.

The project, which runs until mid-2026, will share its results widely through all participating organizations. We will regularly update our newsletter and website with progress and findings from this valuable initiative, which aims to bring heritage participation by diverse groups one step closer to realization.