Today, Libraries Unlimited and dBs Pro are announcing a £176,351 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for Bideford Retold, a 12-month project to revitalise the Chope Collection held in Bideford Library and bring its stories to life for young people across North Devon.
The Chope Collection is a regionally significant archive of around 500 books bequeathed to the people of Bideford by local historian and folklorist Richard Pearse Chope. Chope’s passion for North Devon was captured in a favourite line by Hilaire Belloc: “One’s native place is the shell of one’s soul.” Without this funding, the collection would remain largely unknown, and its fascinating local stories and histories would be unheard by the communities they belong to.
Bideford Retold will empower young people aged 12–21 to discover and reinterpret their heritage, building pride and belonging. The project will breathe new life into the collection through new displays, interpretation panels and an inclusive, co-created digital experience developed by dBs Pro, the in-house creative studio of dBs Institute of Music. Using creative technology, dBs Pro will design an interactive space within Bideford Library where new audiences can encounter local stories in immersive and unexpected ways, beyond the page and into something they can experience first-hand.
Over 12 months, the project will deliver a programme shaped and driven by local young people. From the outset, they will have opportunities to share ideas and influence the direction of the work, with creative practitioners and advisors brought in to demonstrate how history and local knowledge can spark new and original creative work.
The project is a partnership between Libraries Unlimited and dBs Pro, working in collaboration with Space Youth Services, Bideford College and University of Plymouth. Together, they aim to increase the number of young people engaging with Bideford Library and generate insights into how libraries can remain relevant to young people’s lives. The project is also supported by The Bideford Bridge Trust who have contributed to funding the project.
The project will also create opportunities for dBs Institute students to gain hands-on experience and contribute to delivery through a mix of placements and paid roles. The content created will continue to live on beyond the project, ensuring ongoing access and relevance for future audiences.
Its lasting legacy will be a relaunched collection as a vibrant community asset, plus a toolkit offering a repeatable model for youth engagement across Libraries Unlimited’s 54 libraries in Devon and Torbay.
Jay Auborn, Head of Creative of dBs Pro, said: “We are over the moon to have received support from the National Lottery to make this project a reality. R.P. Chope left an untapped resource of fascinating, unique and inspiring local stories, and it’s a privilege to be leading their rediscovery in partnership with Libraries Unlimited. We’ll be working with local young people to develop a unique digital experience within the library, using creative technology to bring the collection to life in immersive and unexpected ways: connecting local history with contemporary creative practice and opening up new ways for young people to imagine futures in the creative industries. As with all dBs Pro projects, Bideford Retold will create opportunities for dBs students to gain hands-on experience and contribute to delivery through a mix of placements and paid roles. The content created will continue to live on beyond the project, ensuring ongoing access and relevance for future audiences.”
Alex Kittow, Chief Executive Officer, Libraries Unlimited added: “It’s fantastic to have received this grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund – it shows how as a charity we can do more for the library service, allowing us to apply for funding like this to help engage more people and reach further into the community. We are delighted to be working again with dBs Pro – the Unlocking the Cage augmented reality installation we previously collaborated on was a huge success and we are looking forward to seeing what they do to bring this collection to life for young people and instill them with pride and passion for their town.”
