March, 2019
Greetings, IOHA members,
As the equinox approaches, wherever we live we are likely to feel a shift in the seasons. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere we notice warmer temperatures and more hours of daylight; and for me here in California, I see daffodils and plum trees in full bloom out the front window. Our colleagues in the Southern Hemisphere are experiencing just the opposite. Temperatures are cooling down and days are getting shorter. Wherever you may be in the world, it is time to think about ways you can connect to oral history in the next few months. Here are some suggestions for educational opportunities in the USA:
The Summer Institute on Oral History [link: https://www.incite.columbia.edu/summer-institute-on-oral-history], Columbia University, June 17 – June 28, 2019, invites applications for this summer’s institute under the theme Oral History from the Margins to the Center: Narrating the Politics of our Times. Under the guidance of world-class instructors, oral historians, journalists, scholars, and activists explore the challenges faced in documenting the political present when secrecy and distortions of truth threaten the values we, as oral historians, hold dear. As always, the institute is highly focused on relating the practice of oral history to the pressing issues of the day. Follow this link [link: https://cumc.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1M2HvmKQMj6HIXz] for the application, and note the deadline, of April 1, 2019. For more information contact Institute Co-Directors Mary Marshall Clark, mmc17@columbia.edu or Terrell Frazier, tf2292@columbia.edu.
The Voces Oral History Research Summer Institute, [link: https://journalism.utexas.edu/home/voces-oral-history-research-summer-institute-june-10-14-2019] School of Journalism, University of Texas, Austin will take place June 10-14, 2019. This institute accepts students and faculty from near and far who wish to learn about oral history to apply to their own research. Participants at all levels, including beginning, are welcome. To apply, send a C/V and a short statement of purpose via email to voces@utexas.edu. The statement should include 1) why you wish to take the workshop, 2) possible research areas you wish to develop, and 3) where you are in your academic journey. Though the initial deadline has passed, qualified applicants will be accepted if space is available. For more information or to find out about availability contact Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez or Todd Moye at voces@utexas.edu.
The Advanced Summer Institute, at the Oral History Center, University of California, Berkeley [link: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/libraries/bancroft-library/oral-history-center/summer-institute] takes place this year on the UC campus August 5-9, 2019. The workshop is designed for post-graduate students, faculty, and independent scholars in any field who use oral history in their work. The curriculum pays particular attention to the ways oral history can broaden and deepen historical interpretation situated within contemporary discussions of history, subjectivity, memory, and memoir. For more information contact Shanna Farrell at sfarrell@library.berkeley.edu. Application form [link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd4tVi572jjljXInJ6Zuz4ChvgnfX22HIErFAOLA7lPPvxqgg/viewform]
Oral History Summer School [link: https://www.oralhistorysummerschool.com/], based in Hudson, New York, offers oral history training to participants from any field of study, and especially welcomes international students. Past participants from Italy, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, China, Canada, Spain, Turkey, Brazil, Panama, Nepal have applied skills learned to radio documentaries, performances, and education in their own work. Registration is now open for the workshops below. See the Summer School website [link: https://www.oralhistorysummerschool.com/all-events?category=Upcoming%20Workshops] for details. For more information contact summer school director Suzanne Snider, suzanne@oralhistorysummerschool.com.
- Oral History Intensive + Oral History and Public Art, June 10-19, 2019
- Oral History and Writing, June 27-July 2, 2019
Vermont Folklife Center [link: https://www.vermontfolklifecenter.org/], Middlebury, Vermont, Founded in 1984, the Vermont Folklife Center is a folklife education organization that uses the study of cultural experience through interviewing, participation and observation as a means to document and preserve culture and community. The Center offers workshops and programs of interest to oral historians on an ongoing basis, including the 2019 Spring Cultural Sustainability Institute Workshops from the Vermont Folklife Center held in Burlington VT. For more information, contact Andy Kovolos, info@vermontfolklifecenter.org.
- Oral History: An Introduction, March 23, 2019,
- Storytelling for Social Change, March 30, 2019
- Vox Pop and Audio Storytelling, April 13, 2019
- Recording our Place: Telling Stories with Sound, May 11, 2019
- Recording Audio for Oral History & Ethnography, May 18, 2019
- Storytelling for Community-Based Projects, May 25, 2019.
The StoryCenter [link: https://www.storycenter.org/] (formerly known as the Center for Digital Storytelling) is an internationally focused organization devoted to helping individuals and groups work toward social change through deep listening and story sharing, with an emphasis on using digital technology. Though based in Berkeley, California the Center partners with organizations with common goals and gives workshops around the world. Check the course catalog [link: https://www.storycenter.org/workshop] for course descriptions and locations.
Nancy MacKay
OPHA Liaison for USA
Berkeley, California
March 2019
