Spotlight on Heritage – Scrapbooking with Tina Barton

In this episode of Spotlight on Heritage, John Coster and Rob Watson meet artist and creative educator Tina Barton to talk about the value of scrapbooking as a way of preserving personal and family memories. Recorded in the Basement Gallery at the Leicester Adult Education Centre, the discussion looks ahead to the Saturday Heritage Fair, where Tina will be running a hands-on scrapbooking drop-in session alongside other creative workshops and displays.

Tina describes scrapbooking as more than just a craft activity. It’s a way for people to explore their own stories, reconnect with the past, and record moments that might otherwise be lost. From collecting ticket stubs and postcards to writing diary entries or sketching while travelling, she sees scrapbooking as an inclusive practice that allows everyone to express what matters to them in a tangible and creative form.

The conversation reflects on how these practices link to wider ideas of heritage, creativity, and wellbeing. Rob and Tina discuss how taking time to reflect through journaling or scrapbooking can counter the speed of digital life, offering space to slow down and reconnect with personal experience. They also touch on the emotional value of keeping family photographs, diaries, and drawings, particularly as a way of sharing memories across generations.

For Tina, heritage is not only about buildings or artefacts, but about the stories people tell and the connections they make through creative expression. Her scrapbooking workshop invites visitors to bring their own memories to life, using whatever materials they have to hand—old photos, wrapping paper, drawings, or even napkins—and to enjoy the process of making something meaningful and unique.

The Saturday Heritage Fair takes place at the Leicester Adult Education Centre on Belvoir Street, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with free entry. Alongside Tina’s scrapbooking session, visitors can explore talks, exhibitions, and activities including audio storytelling projects, creative workshops, and cultural displays.

Listen to the full conversation with Tina Barton on Soar Sound Radio’s Spotlight on Heritage, and discover how a simple scrapbook can become a personal archive of life, memory, and creativity.