Britain today is commonly portrayed as a multicultural nation. However, the diverse historical experiences which constitute the story of this ‘new’ Britain are less well known. The history of the West Midlands in the 20th century is central to this story but the stories that make up this history remain largely hidden in archive collections. Connecting Histories aims to release the potential of these collections so that connections can be made between the past and the present and thereby encourage debate about our shared identities, our common sense of belonging and our multiple heritages.