Summer institute: HIST 498/670 Oral History and Creative Practice

Storytelling, as both an art and a practice, occupies a central role in many cultures. The evocative power of oral history has made a major impact in the worlds of public history, museum/curatorial practice, and the arts. Our inaugural Summer Institute in “Oral History & Creative Practice” – hosted by Concordia’s “Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling” (COHDS) – offers you an opportunity to develop an oral history project that aspires to the kind of public-facing research that has become synonymous with COHDS, including digital storytelling, podcasts, creative writing, visual arts media, and the performing arts.

This Summer Institute brings together graduate and senior undergraduate students, activists, artists, oral historians, and community members in a shared exploration of the intersection of oral history and creative practice. It will provide you with a strong grounding in the theory, methodology, and ethics of oral history while offering a space to “translate” your oral history research into works of research-creation. Participants will work with leading experts in the field; collaborate in workshops on oral history, storytelling, and research creation; and forge connections within an interdisciplinary group of peers.

As a field of inquiry, oral history has grown up on the margins. Oral history interviewing has been undertaken for many reasons: artistic; community-building; truth and reconciliation; political action; storytelling, preservation, and research. Common to these projects is a commitment to lending an ear to marginalized voices. This year’s institute is a blend of a traditional seminar that revolves around deep engagement with assigned readings and a workshop that affords us a space to reflect on interview dynamics, learn about best recording practices, and explore innovative and creative ways of interpreting life stories.