Up the Feeder Down the Mouth: Voices and Silences in the Archive

In 2022, the Theatre Collection acquired the archive of Up the Feeder, Down the Mouth, a 2001 production based on interviews with former dockers. First shared at Bristol Old Vic, the show’s success ensured a second run at M Shed on Princes Wharf including a large cast of professional and non-professional performers from a range of community groups. A BBC journalist on secondment filmed more than 50 hours of footage documenting the rehearsal process, which has never been explored.

Bristol’s docks heritage is at the heart of many heritage events and organisations in the city but volunteer engagement is often limited to retired men with professional connections to the city’s industrial heritage. One of the major challenges the museum and the city face is how to engage new audiences and navigate the difficult legacy of Bristol’s trade history. Our collaborative project responds to these challenges using the unexplored archive to investigate archival voices and silences, and find new ways to contextualise this material and engage new audiences. Finally, the project will give students the chance to work on an interdisciplinary project and will help us to understand the possibilities of future interdisciplinary research.