Our AUDIO archive has over 1500 hours of recordings and is open to the public. Subject to interviewee restrictions all audio, transcriptions and translations are available. The audio collection contains interviews that include the following topics:
1. Life Histories (Lh/ILh)
An ongoing areas of interest, is to record and disseminate the life stories of people living in South Africa. Through regular interviews with interviewees, we are gathering a comprehensive life history collection that explores peoples life experiences.
2. Arts (Am/Ac/)
Exploring the way in which people work and play. Interviewees speak of their interest in cultural activities, music and the visual arts and their experience of the environment. This area includes interviews with visual artists working on the margins, jazz musicians, cultural workers and public performance.
3. Workers (W/Wd/Wc/Iw/We/Wh)
Discussing peoples working lives. Collections include exporation into idustries such as garment and textile, dock workers, sex workers, teaching and hairdressing.
4. Trauma and memory (T/T1)
Plotting the lives of people who have experiences of social trauma . South Africa is a country raught with trauma that extends through many levels, these collections seek to explore the layerings that impact on the collective memory of the country. Such as residents of Gugulethu during the 1980s, survivors of urban terror and bombings with in Cape Town.
5. Communities of the Western Cape: (Cds/Ch/Cw/Cwk/Ci/Cg/Cl/Cln/Cwb)
Looking at forced removals in Cape Town and beyond and its impact on residents and communities. Collections include District Six, Fracreton/Windermere, Langa/Ndabeni, Guguletu, Informal Settlements, Squatter Communities and Marmre/Atlantis.
6. Politics, Identities and War Histories: (P/Pa/Pm/Pww/Pm/Ps/I/II/Ir/Ia/Im/Ig/Iu)
Interviewees reflect on their memories of war and politics in South Africa, including their understandings of identity construction in a complex society. Stories include Cape flats community politics, Apartheid politics, Political activists, World War II veterans, Mdantsane bus boycotts and issues of identity,gender and race including urbanisation and migration.
7. Environment (Ew1/Ew2)
We explore peoples perceptions of the environment around them and the impact of urbanisation on this changing landscape. A second focus looks at heritage sites and the built environment. Examples include Table mountain in relation to District Six, Silvermine, heritage sites in Langa and people who work on Table mountain.
8. Immigrants to South Africa (Im/Ime/Ima/Imas)
People from the African continent, Eastern europe, Asia and the America's speak about their experiences of living in South Africa.
9. Migrancy and Refugees (Mr/M)
Concentrating on experiences of migrants and refugees who come to South Africa for various reasons. Collections include interviews with Rwandan refugees, immigrants from Congo, Nigeria and from within the South Afircan borders. There are also explorations of migrant hostels in Langa which housed men coming from rural Transkei to work in the urban areas during apartheid.
10. Health (Ha/H)
We chart issues of disease, the medical fraternity and health in relation to society. These interviews include discussions with people living with HIV/AIDS, care givers and people involved in medical research and practice.