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Catching Stories Oral History Institute in Ohio- Extra Spaces Remaining!
Unexpectedly, a small number of spaces have opened up for the 2012 Catching Stories Oral History Institute. Normally, the institute is fully booked by this time of year, so please consider taking the opportunity to guarantee yourself a space this year! The final application deadline is now May 13th, 2012, but openings may fill up quickly, so apply as soon as possible. Contact Jim Calder at jimc@ohiohumanities.org with any questions or to request an application. Original institute description provided below:
If you are doing an oral history project or are thinking about doing one, you should apply to attend this year’s Oral History Institute, June 5-7 on the beautiful campus of Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. The program trains participants in planning and conducting successful oral history projects. Emphasizing hands-on experience, topics covered in the two-and-a-half-day schedule include interviewing techniques, transcribing and archiving, and devising public programs based on oral history. To develop these skills, participants will work on a practice project that encompasses all stages of oral history and will also have time to consult with experts about planned projects. Sessions will also be available on using technology in oral history and on fundraising.
The faculty consists of professors from the fields of History, Sociology, Archiving, and Journalism who all have extensive experience with Oral History.
We encourage volunteers or paid staff from local historical organizations, libraries, schools, and colleges and universities to apply. Admission to the institute is limited to thirty and is competitive. The cost of the institute is $300, which includes two nights stay, six meals, and all other workshop materials. To obtain an application, contact James Calder at (800) 293-9774 or jimc@ohiohumanities.org.
The Oral History Institute is co-sponsored by the Ohio Humanities Council and The Rural Life Center at Kenyon College.
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Would you like to be a part of the conversation commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War?
Making Sense of the Civil War
Let’s Talk about It! Reading and Discussion Series co-sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association.
The Ohio Humanities Council is accepting applications from libraries that would like to host this program. Funding of up to $1500 is available.
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View Making Sense of the Civil War Guidelines and Application
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OHC Presents in 2013 and 2014 Journey Stories: Call for Host Site Applications
Starting in June, 2013, The Ohio Humanities Council will sponsor a 10-month tour of Journey Stories, an exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street. This exhibition was developed especially for small institutions and rural audiences that typically do not have access to traveling exhibits. OHC invites applications from historical societies and museums, libraries, or other institutions with the requisite resources for hosting Journey Stories.
EXHIBIT SUMMARY
Journey Stories, or tales of how we and our ancestors came to America, are a central element of our personal and national heritage. From Native Americans to new American citizens and regardless of our ethnic or racial background, everyone has a story to tell of how they came to live where they live. The reasons behind those decisions to move are myriad.
Our transportation history is likewise more than boats, buses, cars, wagons, railroads, and trucks. The Museum on Main Street exhibition Journey Stories will examine the connection between our modes of travel and Americans’ desire to feel free to move. The story is wide-ranging and focuses on immigration, migration, innovation, and freedom. It is accounts of immigrants coming in search of promise in a new country, as well as oral and family stories of Africans and Native Americans forced to move. Journey Stories also recounts stories of fun and frolic on the open road. The exhibit uses engaging images with audio and artifacts to tell the individual stories that illustrate the critical roles travel and movement have played in building a diverse American society.
EXHIBIT DESIGN
The structure for Journey Stories is freestanding with seven lightweight, modular sections, which require 700 square feet of space and 9-foot ceilings. The exhibit travels in easy-to-handle wheeled crates and requires no tools for assembly. The exhibition space must be clean and well lighted, but no specific environmental controls are needed. Only limited security is required, but personnel must be near the exhibit at all times it is open.
Host institutions and community partners will be expected to develop associated programs that expand on the themes presented in Journey Stories. Activities could include school design and essay contests, oral history projects, film and literary discussions, guest lectures, and artifact collection and interpretation for an exhibit on stories of how residents and their ancestors came to live in or near the host community, as well as about memorable trips that people have taken. The Ohio Humanities Council partners with other institutions to create programs that will be available to most exhibit hosts.
| EACH HOST INSTITUTION WILL RECEIVE: | |
| Exhibit rental for approximately 4-6 weeks | |
| An exhibition support manual detailing installation, public relations, and evaluation | |
| Promotional materials such as posters, brochures, banners, and a press kit | |
| Workshops on program planning and exhibit installation | |
| Consultation with OHC staff for project planning and implementation | |
| Access to OHC’s mini-grant program | |
| EACH HOST INSTITUTION WILL BE REQUIRED TO: | |
| Pay a $1,000 cash fee to the Ohio Humanities Council to offset exhibit rental and shipping costs | |
| Identify a staff member or volunteer who will attend all planning meetings and act as project director | |
| Maintain and publicize regular exhibition hours (no less than 25 hours per week) | |
| Conduct locally-based public programming during the exhibit’s stay | |
OHC will select host institutions based on factors such as geographic distribution, ability to provide public access to the exhibit, and interest in community programming. Luxurious facilities and previous experience with traveling exhibits or public humanities programming are NOT essential to a successful application. The application deadline is April 30, 2012. For more information, please contact Jack Shortlidge at 1-800-293-9774 or jacks@ohiohumanities.org.
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