Storying Sheffield- Chronicling the memory of a city

by Startacus Admin
We have learned many things since the beginning of our 'Startup Cities’ tour, but what seems most prevalent (no matter where we go) is that a city’s value is so much greater than the mere the sum of its parts.
Stripped back to their bare bones, all cities are basically the same. Whilst geographical locations and superficial details may vary, when it comes down to it, all cities are just a collection of buildings and other man-made structures, clumped together in a higglety-pigglety sort of way… nothing more.
So how then can a city have a particular ‘atmosphere’? Why is it when you step off a train in Glasgow you are immediately enveloped in an undeniable friendliness? And why does Bristol have a surprising aura of creativity and colour?
Of course, the answer is a simple one. A city is not defined by its buildings, roads and bridges… but by the people who live there, the collective cultural memory that they hold and its distinctive power to shape the cities atmosphere.
It’s a concept which is easy to identify, but very difficult to account for...
Storying Sheffield
Storying Sheffield is a project based at the University of Sheffield, which is delving deep into the collective history, memories and experiences of the city.
They are putting together a chronicle of the ‘life’ of Sheffield, through the creation of stories and other creative representations of its people, their lives and their identities.There are many strands to the project, which is bringing together a diverse range of people and allowing them to see their individual story as part of a much wider experience and a contribution to the development of the cities individual and unique culture.
The project is, as their tagline claims, ‘a cloth of woven stories told’ encompassing poetry, prose, video, sketches, paintings and performance- all unapologetically (nay proudly) everyday, commonplace and real. Often they are the ‘untold’ stories – those which are marginalised, repressed, disregarded, ignored, or stigmatised
The Putter- A Story that Saved the Scissors
At Startacus we are firm believers in the power of a good story - a human story told truthfully can move you in a way that defies all sense and reaso n- much like the city itself, a good story is worth eminently more than the sum of its parts.
An excellent illustration of this is the case of Ernest Wright & Sons, the last remaining handmade scissor manufacturers in the UK. They featured in a strand of ‘Storying Sheffield’ called ‘Steel Stories’ which Marked the 100th anniversary of the invention of stainless steel - a pivotal moment in the cities history (for obvious reasons).
So compelling is this video that it received over half a million views on Vimeo, created a flood of thousands of orders, brought this generations old family business back from the brink of closure and helped to maintain the last survival of a once booming British trade. Quite a feat wouldn’t you say?
The Putter
The film documents ' Putter ' Cliff Denton literally a putter togetherer of scissors . This Film is part of Storying Sheffield , part funded by the Arts & Humanities department under Professor Brendan Stone at The University of Sheffield . Music and Sound Design by The Black DogWe doff our caps to the good folks at Storying Sheffield and urge one-and-all to pay a visit to their website and lose yourself in a Sheffield Story.
Did you know that this (September) is our Sheffield Startup month? Why not share your Sheffield startup tale with the world?
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
Tobin Capital continues to expand its portfolio by investing in pop-up marketplace Sook, the startup on a mission to revolutionise the high street.

Sodexo and L Marks open call for applications from innovative startups and scaleups to join their inaugural Sodexo Healthcare and Seniors Accelerator.

The lowdown on FuturePlus, the startup that's on a mission to make sustainability accessible, achievable and affordable for all businesses.

John McLachlan, author and co-founder of Monkey Puzzle Training & Consultancy examines the differences between action-oriented and reflective leaders and which approach is best.

The fitness app that's not just about physical fitness; GoJoe helps employers to engage, motivate and connect their people across all pillars of wellbeing.

Now in its fifth year, North West England water firm United Utilities opens call for Innovation Lab, its pioneering ideas incubation programme.

Not-for-profit OneTech has spunout from Capital Enterprise to expand its offering and continue its mission of creating a more equitable, diverse and supported startup ecosystem.

London-based startup Deep Render tackles the internet’s data and bandwidth challenges via its innovative AI-powered file compression technology.

The lowdown on Dublin-based startup and NUI Maynooth spin-out Neuromod Devices and its innovative evidence-based bimodal neuromodulation treatment for chronic tinnitus.

With the clear shift towards generative AI, Richard Hayes, search director at digital marketing agency Catalyst explores what it means for SEO...
Published on: 11th September 2014
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.







- Startup Sook Receives Investment from Tobin Capital 24th May 2023 Tobin Capital continues to expand its portfolio by investing in pop-up marketplace Sook, the startup on a mission to revolutionise the high street.
- L Marks Seeking Startups and Scaleups for Sodexo Healthcare and Seniors Accelerator 23rd May 2023 Sodexo and L Marks open call for applications from innovative startups and scaleups to join their inaugural Sodexo Healthcare and Seniors Accelerator.
- United Utilities Innovation Lab launches call-out for innovative ideas for fifth programme 18th May 2023 Now in its fifth year, North West England water firm United Utilities opens call for Innovation Lab, its pioneering ideas incubation programme.
- OneTech Spins Out from Capital Enterprise to Support Underserved Communities in Tech Across the UK 18th May 2023 Not-for-profit OneTech has spunout from Capital Enterprise to expand its offering and continue its mission of creating a more equitable, diverse and supported startup ecosystem.