Project grant/Raising Representation

Basic information

Project Title (If applicable)

Raising Representation

Proposed by

Hannah Cobb

Project description

Briefly describe the issue or problem that motivates this application. What needs are you meeting?

The Women in Red project has shown that only 20% of Wikipedia biographies are of women, and a number of Wikipedia projects highlight that non-binary people, people of colour, those who identify as LGBTQ+, and those with disabilities are also minoritised on Wikipedia. The archaeological profession also lacks diversity, despite the existence of a diverse student body, something my own research has demonstrated. This means that students who do not identify as straight, white, non-disabled, cis heterosexual men often struggle to see role models and career possibilities, or feel they have agency to change this.

The Raising Representation project, running throughout 2024/2025, addresses this by raising representation and recentring student agency in diversifying archaeology by running a series of Wikipedia editathons in collaboration with Archaeology students at the University of Manchester. In addition, to truly empower students and make structural change, it is essential that this work extends beyond the University and into the professional arena. Consequently, this project supports our students to lead an editathon and present their findings at the annual Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) conference and to widen our reach and hold an editathon for archaeology departments in the North West of the UK in collaboration with Historic England.

Describe project activities. What will you use the funding to do?

So far we have undertaken three internal University of Manchester events (2 editathons and an International Women’s Day event), but as we plan to take our editathons beyond the University, we would like to create a professional pop-up roller banner to display at events and a postcard to advertise the project and enable others to follow our work. Therefore, we apply for funding to create the banner and postcards, including 2 hours of design time, through the University of Manchester’s Graphics Support Workshop.

Cost Breakdown: Roller Banner £150 A5 postcards @ 15p each x 400 = £60 Design time @ £20 per hour x 2 hours = £40

Details and price list can be found here https://www.mediaservices.manchester.ac.uk/ourservices/gsw/

Describe your plan for evaluating this project. How will you measure success? What types of things will you measure (e.g. content, participants)?

We will evaluate the Raising Representation project as a whole at the end of the academic year by evaluating students’ experiences and learning through a basic survey, the number of participants in editathon events, and also using the dashboard from each event to understand the reach and impact of the edits we have made. I have funding from the University of Manchester for a group of students to write up the evaluation and to publish it in an Archaeological sector publication.

Identify key people involved in this project. How will or could the wider Wikimedian community be involved?

I am the project lead. Richard Nevell, programme manager at Wikimedia UK, and Wikimedia UK volunteer Duncan Hull have been key figures in providing training and support for the events so far. For the Historic England event, Pen Foreman (senior inclusive heritage advisor) is co-leading.

If applicable, identify partnering organisations for this project (not essential)

The University of Manchester Chartered Institute for Archaeologists Historic England

If you feel that there is more information that could be for example resources needed, how successes can be measured, and how it fits in with the aims of Wikimedia and Wikimedia UK. Please note that these answers don't have to be definite now, and can be expanded on in conversation with the programme team.

Budget

£250