
A project celebrating the British jukebox and its influence on teenage culture will have a lasting legacy at Lancaster University
Jukebox: The Teenage Revolution has been a year-long programme of events, research and interviews.
Recordings of interviews with people from Lancaster and Morecambe who took part will now be held in Lancaster University's archives, along with memorabilia donated by some of those interviewed. All will be accessible to the general public for free.
A project website featuring links to the interviews and all the background information about Jukebox: The Teenage Revolution is due to be launched in January.
Students from a range of backgrounds and mainly studying arts and social sciences were recruited to interview people who were teenagers in the 50s and 60s about their experiences of this iconic era in popular culture.
The students involvement has helped them to develop their skills and promote a wider awareness of opportunities in the heritage sector.
More than 30 people were interviewed from Lancaster and Morecambe as well as from Blackpool and Lytham St Annes where the first British jukeboxes were produced.
The eight student interviewers and others involved in the project received oral history training funded by donations from the friends and supporters of Lancaster University.
The recordings were made digitally and all those who provided their memories will receive copies of their interviews.
“The Jukebox project has provided an amazing opportunity to explore the local heritage of the British jukebox,” said Phil Cheeseman, Lancaster University Library’s associate director: teaching and engagement.
“Through our partnership with (Lancaster-based arts and heritage charity) Mirador we have been able to reach new communities, provide opportunities for students to participate in community research, and have established a rich archive that captures and preserves the memories and stories of the jukebox era.”
For more information on Jukebox: The Teenage Revolution, which is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund thanks to National Lottery players, Arts Council England, the Granada Foundation and Garfield Weston Foundation, visit www.miradorarts.co.uk