2018-20: Heugh Battery Museum commemoration project.
New online historical interpretation of the 16 December 1914 bombardment of Hartlepool. This project featured on-site and digital components, and public talks, funded by a collaborative grant from the First World War Network. I was part of a team, including Ann-Marie Foster of Queen’s University Belfast and colleagues from Heugh Battery Museum. I provided a public talk at the museum (Dec 2019), wrote a new account of the bombardment and collected data from attendees on their memories and interpretations of the bombardment. Watch a video version of the December 2019 talk at Heugh Battery Museum below.
August 2018: Freelance historical researcher, Big Ideas: The Unremembered project, August 2018.
I conducted archival and desk-based (online newspaper) research into the British Labour Corps and the use of German POW labour in Britain during the First World War. This will form part of future public engagement activities with young people and community groups. Funding provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government and the Big Lottery Fund.
25 May 2018: Conference assistant organiser, Urban History Beyond the Academy, Leeds Beckett University.
Administration of conference contacts and speakers, social media promotion, graphic design (Images: M. Reeve, A. McTominey, S. Ewen).
2016-present: Co-founder and convenor, Northern Identities Research Network.
NIRN was founded in September 2017 to encourage debate and research around the subject of northern English identities within the arts, humanities and social sciences in Britain and beyond. It was formed following two conferences in 2016 and 2017 respectively. The first – Grim up North? Northern Identity, History and Heritage – took place on 16 September 2016 at The Leeds Library (Leeds, UK). The second – Grim up North? Identities within the North – took place at the Maritime Historical Studies Centre, University of Hull (Hull, UK), on 15 September 2017. So far, this project has resulted in a special issue of the International Journal of Regional and Local History (co-edited with Andrew McTominey). A larger publication is now planned, based on papers from the 2017 conference. NIRN has also been working with the These Northern Types project in Leeds, taking part in public debates and writing a closing chapter for a coffee table book based on the project (Images: M. Reeve, R. Pickin).
Jan-Apr 2017: Researcher and project assistant.
North of England Civic Trust, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Jan. to Feb. 2017. Working on an ongoing project to deliver public engagement to the local community of Hartley, Northumberland, with a focus on a First World War-era gun battery (Roberts Battery) and its historical significance. With the aid of a mentor from NECT, I wrote planning documents, conducted research at local and national archives and applied for funding (Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic England). As the project develops, it is set to involve public talks, guided heritage walks and historical interpretation in local schools using Minecraft. The initial placement was funded by the AHRC Heritage Consortium (Images: M. Reeve, NECT).
18 June 2016: Public engagement assistant.
Researching Urban History Day, 18 June 2016, The Leeds Library. Organised by Dr Shane Ewen, Leeds Beckett University. This required the delivery of group activities on heritage walking tour design and map interpretation, encouraging groups to give feedback on their results and aiding them in historical interpretation.
24-26 May 2016: Public engagement assistant.
Wilberforce Institute for the Study of Slavery and Emancipation (University of Hull), 24 and 26 May 2016. This involved working with local primary school groups on heritage walking tours and museum visits in Hull city centre, Wilberforce House Museum and Streetlife Transport Museum, with material related to local and national maritime and naval history (Images: University of Hull).
2015-17: Campaigns Coordinator, Civic Voice War Memorials Programme (Hull branch).
This work included organising a launch meeting for the project at Blaydes House, Hull, as well as people management and promotional activities. The project was promoted via social media, the Civic Voice website and in the local press. This included a meeting with Alan Johnson MP in September 2016 (Images: M. Reeve, Hull Daily Mail, Civic Voice).
Dr. Michael Reeve 