Research centres
An integral part of our work is collecting and communicating the past to the larger public. These research centres are embedded in history-rich commmunities.
Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling
The Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling (COHDS) is a research centre based at Concordia University which explores the links between oral history, digital media, the arts and education while providing tools and resources to support its members in their research. We serve as a point of convergence, meeting and discussion for all those interested in oral history within the university and beyond.
Rooted in the principles of shared authority, COHDS collects, archives, analyzes and shares audiovisual oral history records, primarily through its members’ projects and initiatives which have historically shaped the Centre’s identity and values. Since 2018, COHDS includes the Acts of Listening Lab (ALLab), which prioritizes research and creation in relation to oral history, performance, and listening.
Curating and Public Scholarship Lab
Established in 2016 at Concordia University in Montreal, the Curating and Public Scholarship Lab (CaPSL) is a hub where faculty, students, and community and museum partners translate academic scholarship into on-site and mobile exhibitions that respond to critical social issues.
CaPSL began in 2008 as the Centre for Ethnographic Research and Exhibition in the Aftermath of Violence (CEREV). CEREV’s community of scholars and exhibition projects remain a key “spoke” in our broader intellectual and creative community. As such, exhibiting difficult histories — legacies of colonialism, genocide, slavery, and human rights abuses — remains a central focus of research in the lab.
