Oral History - An Introduction

Do you have an interview project in mind but don’t quite know where to begin or how to proceed? Vermont Folklife partnering with the Thetford Historical Society to offer this workshop: Oral History - An Introduction to help you move your project forward. Join us on Saturday, May 18 from 1:00 - 4:00 pm at the Latham Memorial Library in Thetford, VT.

Oral History: An Introduction combines discussion of the theories and methods that inform oral history research with practical, hands-on training in oral history interview techniques. The workshop includes a demonstration interview followed by group discussion of the interview process. Attendees will also work as teams to conduct practice interviews using provided digital audio recording equipment. The day concludes with reflection on interviewing and a discussion of project ideas.

From the perspective of ethnographic research, an interview offers the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of another person. The premise of our interview methodology is that everyone is the foremost authority on their own life, and an interview offers the opportunity to capture a person’s experience in their own words and on their own terms.

Led by Vermont Folklife Director of Education and Media Mary Wesley, this workshop is designed to give you a road-map for embarking on your own personal or community-based oral history projects. Our goal is that you will leave the workshop with a clear idea of the next steps you need to take to realize your project.