I Belong Here
David Sheffield
Cobourg, Ontario
I Belong Here is a community-based oral history project in Cobourg, Ontario, that brings forward the voices of people with lived experience of homelessness, addiction, and mental illness. Conceived and led by David Sheffield, a local community artist, the project involved working with nine individuals to record in-depth oral histories that reveal the fullness of their lives beyond negative labels. Over the course of three to eight hours with each participant, he recorded more than twenty hours of interviews, covering themes such as childhood, family, work, and everyday experiences. These recordings were then distilled into two-minute audio clips accessible via QR codes displayed on large posters in downtown Cobourg storefronts—transforming public spaces into “listening stations” where community members can encounter voices that are often dismissed or overlooked.
A Year of Bringing Hidden Stories Into Public Space
David Sheffield is an interdisciplinary artist, working at the intersections of storytelling, memory, landscape, and lived experience. His practice has been shaped by the vibrant community of artists and writers in Northumberland County, Ontario, where he resides. Living alongside people whose lives have been marked by poverty and systemic injustice has expanded and redefined his understanding of what it means to be a neighbour.
Observing both the growing challenges they face and the hostility directed toward them reinforced the project’s urgency.
Although the public display phase was initiated late in the project and the broader community impact continues to be assessed, the effect on the nine narrators has already proven profound. Many described the recording process as cathartic and empowering, an uncommon experience of being deeply listened to. Approximately 50 community members attended the project’s launch reception and offered thoughtful, encouraging feedback. The project also drew the attention of local media, resulting in invitations for interviews, including a long-form radio and podcast conversation. Throughout the project, Sheffield maintained close contact with some of the most marginalized individuals in the community—those living outdoors and facing substance dependency. It revealed a desire among compassionate residents to find constructive ways to show support. Ethical integrity and safety were prioritized from the outset: only individuals known to the artist for at least two years and capable of informed consent were invited to participate. To strengthen this foundation, Sheffield completed three online Oral History courses, one of which developed into an ongoing mentorship with an experienced Oral Historian.
Practical challenges arose in scheduling interviews with participants living in precarious circumstances and often lacking access to phones or email. Plans were made informally in person, with flexibility built in for missed appointments and rescheduling. Respect, patience, and the avoidance of shame guided each interaction, acknowledging the realities of survival experienced by many participants.
Combining peer connection, creative collaboration, seed funding, and structured mentorship offered an ideal framework for developing a project that had been evolving in his mind for some time.
Looking ahead, I Belong Here will expand its reach through online sharing and social media. With more than twenty hours of interviews recorded—and interest in continuing the series—the project has potential to be developed into podcast episodes, a print publication, or even animated short films. Conversations with an animator have already opened the possibility of visually interpreting interview excerpts to reach broader audiences. Designed with adaptability in mind, I Belong Here offers a replicable model that other communities can adopt to foster understanding, empathy, and belonging through storytelling.
About David Sheffield
David Sheffield is an interdisciplinary artist, who works at the intersections of storytelling, memory, landscape, and lived experience. David Sheffield applied to the Ontario Community Changemakers (OCC) program during a period of professional transition, seeking a new way to engage meaningfully with his local community. Over the course of the year, he built connections with experienced practitioners and gained both ethical grounding and technical skill in this discipline. These new competencies and relationships will continue to shape his work going forward. Sheffield is scheduled to present his I Belong Here project as a panellist at an international Oral History workshop in December and has already begun planning two additional projects that will build on the learning and momentum from this experience.
Instagram: @davidfsheffield
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/david-sheffield-b203933
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