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An Oral History Weekend Experience Seminar and Workshop has helped to inspire groups around the State to get working on their own oral history projects.
Oral history has many applications in local and family history, heritage projects, museum exhibitions and history of institutions and associations, just to name a few.
The event was hosted by Orange City Library with support from the Oral History Association Australia NSW and their trainers Trish Levido and Sandra Blamey with funding from a Country Arts Support Program grant.
The packed program included best practice standards, guidelines, review of digital equipment, interview, listening and narrator practice as well as planning an oral history project framework.
Participants learnt interviewing tips, what interview questions to ask to help people share their life stories, how to choose a digital recorder, copying and storing of digital files and benefits of transcriptions.
Trainer Trish Levido said it was “a privilege to record a person’s story in their own voice. It is an obligation that we record at the best possible standard to that the richness and integrity of the storytelling is captured.”
“In order to produce archival quality recording, oral historians need ongoing practical training as the technology changes, “she said.
Sandra Blamey said “ imagine a world without memories. Oral historians become archivists – keepers of the stories of the community and its people. It’s a challenge and a responsibility to be part of creating legacies for our children and grandchildren.”
The trainers were also impressed by the broad range of projects the participants were already involved with covering school counsellors to village founders, family histories and others who were keen to get started on an oral history project.
People travelled from Canberra, Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Oberon and the surrounding local district to join in the seminar and workshop.
Orange has an active oral history group which meets at Orange City Library on the third Monday of the month at 10am. The next meeting will be held on Monday 19th August. All interested people are most welcome to attend.
2014 Country Arts Support Program applications close October 1. For more information go to: http://www.regionalartsnsw.com.au/grants/grants.html