About

What makes York’s Alternative History alternative?

What? Alternative because… there’s more to York and to York’s history than Vikings, Romans and pretty medieval streets. We explore the histories of York which don’t make the guidebooks. From creating political alternatives to alternative ways of working, living and loving. From histories of specific political, social and cultural organisations to histories of informal networks and friendships.

Who? Alternative because… York’s history should be written by the people who live here. We create histories of York written by lots of different people, in lots of different voices and in lots of different ways (through events, recordings, films and writing – both in the public spaces of the city and the public spaces of the web).

Why? Alternative because… history is political and useful. We use the histories we create in our activism today. We use activism of the past to help us reflect on how to work together and how to create change. We enrich our understandings of the city’s pasts to intervene in how York’s heritage is being used today. We hope that more democratic histories of York will enable York’s heritage to be a resource which might be used more democratically and on behalf of all its citizens. We also monitor policy and funding relating to local museums, libraries, archives and heritage and fight for their democratic and transparent governance.