Methods, approaches, and new forms of Oral Storytelling, including unheard/untold stories
As a field, oral history is undergoing a paradigm shift towards radical inclusivity, and in this transitional moment, there are fundamental, core alignments with the ethos of community radio’s remit of social gain within local communities.
Co-created conversations are refurbishing the traditional landscape of academic or professional interviewer with a participant or interviewee. Instead, we are convening towards shared experiences that are underpinned by models of co-production, co-design, and a heightened capacity for innovation when it comes to ‘storytelling’.
When we think about project-based oral history models, they are essentially, built on oral historians as educators. However, the converging audio/oral history landscape is perhaps, enhancing a greater need for participatory community work and active citizenship in helping inform our knowledge of the past and present.
In this presentation, I will discuss the more creative interpretations of the hyper local, local, and national oral history projects I have been involved in: Communicating Connections, Tape Letters, A County Remembers, The Making of Black Britain and artist/practitioner-led Heritage funded projects from cohort members within the Uni of Bedfordshire’s Arts & Culture projects.
From an editorial perspective, we will consider how who we choose to tell certain stories, the questions that we ask, and the additional information that with these narratives, to ensure stories amplify and empower the people who share them with us.
My intention is positing oral history as an essential element of critically engaging with and within our communities, whilst respectfully navigating ethical considerations the many nuances that reside within individual’s lived experiences, collective memory and how we then, broadcast curated audio pieces that are often pivotal parts of wider exhibitions, artistic outputs, and digital works.
Leona Fensome Sunderland MeCCSA proposal 2
100-word biography:
Alongside her role in in heritage projects within Uni of Bedfordshire’s Arts & Culture Projects team, Leona is the creative director of Inkslingers Media, an audio production company developing projects with museums, arts organisations, and community media, to create radio programmes and documentaries from oral history archives and community heritage stories and, expand these social gain principles into national collections.
As part of her practitioner-led Honours dissertation in 2019, she researched volunteer community radio production in the UK through an autoethnographic model and is experienced at developing collaborative approaches in arts-based practices. In 2020, she joined the AudioUK board, supporting the creative
industries to grow.
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