ABOUT THE EAST RIDING BLOCKDOWN
Make your mark on history!
The East Riding Archives need Minecrafters under the age of 16 based in the East Riding of Yorkshire (Hull Minecrafters you can join in too!) to tell us about your life during the COVID-19 pandemic and recreate it in Minecraft, through writing in a “book and quill” or by building.
What are we collecting?
Your Stories, Journals and Poems
Use the “book and quill” item to write about any aspect of the pandemic or your lockdown life through poetry, stories and diary entries.
Your Models
Build a scene or object that represents the pandemic or your life under lockdown.
Why are we collecting your experiences?
Your experience of the pandemic is important and we want to listen to your stories and opinions. Your creations in Minecraft will be added to the real-world East Riding Archives and cared for permanently (yes, forever!) for historians of the future to use when researching the COVID-19 pandemic.
Just like we look back at pandemics centuries ago, we want historians of the future to use your contributions to write the history books about this historically-significant and challenging period in time. You will be making your mark on the story of the East Riding!
See where your experiences will be preserved
The East Riding Archives are protectors of the past, and they are yours to explore! We collect the written heritage of the East Riding, its communities and its people, from medieval manuscripts to digital files (such as your Minecraft creations!), and preserve this unique memory for present and future generations. Our collections are for everyone to use, for research and enjoyment.
Our home is the Treasure House in Beverley where we care for 800 years of East Riding history all under one roof. Your creations in the East Riding Blockdown project will become part of this wonderful resource, housed alongside thousands of historical records that tell the story of the East Riding.
If you would like to visit or browse our online collections catalogue, please see our website for details.
How do I take part?
Firstly, you will need to fill in a registration form and read about the various ways you can take part in the project. Visit our Registration page for more information.
Thank you to our supporters
The East Riding Blockdown would not have been possible without our project funders The Audience Agency. Our project was one of 10 selected across England as part of The Audience Agency’s ‘Digitally Democratising Archives‘ project, and we are grateful for their ongoing support as we bring communities and archives closer together using digital technology.
East Riding Blockdown 