Project looks at changing face of Great Yarmouth
New Anglia Ruskin research examines how town has been shaped by the North Sea
Great Yarmouth is the focus of an exciting new Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) PhD research project, looking at how the town’s identity continues to be shaped by the North Sea.
The four-year initiative, in collaboration with Great Yarmouth’s Time and Tide Museum, will explore how socio-ecological change is told through oral histories of people’s livelihoods, and how the changing face of jobs linked to the sea has defined the character of Great Yarmouth.
Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, through its Collaborative Doctoral Partnership scheme, the research will combine history, culture, and environmental geography to examine the different factors behind the town’s transformation, such as fishing, tourism, and the oil and gas industry.
By understanding the dynamics that impact coastal communities, the project will also investigate how historical insights can inform current strategies to benefit Great Yarmouth and towns like it across the country.
The Time and Tide Museum is part of the Norfolk Museums Service, and the project will see a dedicated PhD researcher analyse the museum’s extensive Great Yarmouth Voices Collection for the first time.
Recorded over the last 70 years, the archive contains 350 stories from individuals with diverse backgrounds, ranging from offshore workers to circus performers, capturing memories that might not typically be found in traditional history books.
In addition to studying the existing oral histories, the researcher will expand the Great Yarmouth Voices Collection by recording new stories from underrepresented groups. This will provide a broader spectrum of experiences and perspectives, revealing the changing relationship with the sea among the town's different communities today.
They will also work with the Time and Tide Museum’s exhibition and events team to organise public engagement and outreach activities, to showcase the research to as wide an audience as possible.
“As Great Yarmouth continues to navigate coastal change, such as the development of new industries like offshore wind farms, our new project provides a timely opportunity to document and analyse the experiences of its residents over the years.
“The insights gained from this research should not only add to our understanding of Great Yarmouth’s fascinating past but also provide valuable guidance that could be used to shape its future."
Dr Lara Houston, Research Fellow at ARU’s Global Sustainability InstituteThe project will begin in October 2025 and the closing date for applications for the PhD position is Monday, 5 May. For further information, please visit https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/changing-coastal-livelihoods-oral-histories-and-lived-experiences-of-transformation-in-great-yarmouth/?p183281