J.W. Evans Silver Factory Oral History Project

The J.W. Evans Silver Factory oral history project took place in Spring 2025, when Young Producers interviewed people who worked on and near the site, to capture the hidden stories of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter and bring them to life.

J.W. Evans was once a thriving hub of silversmithing, producing intricate silverware for over a century before closing its doors in 2008 and becoming part of English Heritage.

It’s a unique place as there haven’t been many sites which have transitioned from private working ownership to being cared for by English Heritage so recently. Most of English Heritage’s sites have been ‘passed down’ from the previous governmental organisation (‘The Ministry of Works’) from the 1950s and earlier.

The factory feels as if it’s been frozen in time!  The people who worked there and those from the wider community who remember it as a working silver factory have fascinating stories to tell. We wanted to ensure that these stories could be shared more widely.

Between December 2024 and May 2025, a team of five Young Producers took on the role of oral historians. They received specialist training from the Oral History Society, and worked alongside English Heritage staff and historians, to record interviews with former factory employees, current site staff, and members of the local Jewellery Quarter community. These conversations revealed everything from the skill and precision behind silverware production, to stories of lunch breaks and job interviews in the 1980s, to the journey of transforming a working factory into a heritage site.

The Young Producers didn’t only learn how to collect oral histories—they also discovered the art of heritage filmmaking. Working with Squeaky Pedal, a specialist heritage film company, the group were shown how to turn interviews into compelling visual stories. The group learned about filming techniques and styles, and witnessed how to combine first-hand accounts with the evocative imagery of J.W. Evans’ preserved spaces.

J.W. Evans Silver Factory is a story of working-class life, craftsmanship, and community. By documenting these voices, the project preserves a vital chapter of Britain’s industrial heritage, and a deeper understanding of the cultural significance of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. These interviews now form part of English Heritage’s permanent oral history collection, ensuring future generations can access authentic stories of life inside the factory.

The finished film can be viewed below and you can learn more about this fascinating site as well as finding out how to visit here https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/j-w-evans-silver-factory/