Recording Oral Histories with Deborah Shepard

Recording Oral Histories with Dr Deborah Shepard

f you've ever thought of recording the life story of a beloved family member, or wanted to interview a significant or special person this one-day workshop with its introduction to the art and craft of life review may be just what you need to ignite the process. Guiding you through the various stages of oral history recording and production, Deborah will introduce you to the techniques and methodologies you need to create a meaningful oral history for your family to enjoy now and for generations to come and it may also provide content for a possible biographical project. ​

Morning and afternoon sessions will cover: how to prepare for the interview, interviewing technique and the personal dimension including trust building, ethical considerations and your role as alert listener; how to create timelines upon which to structure the interview and an understanding of the biographical arc; identification of themes and particular questions that might encourage spontaneity in the storytelling. Confidence will be acquired through an experiential component, working in pairs to 'interview' one another. Through this process each partner will have an opportunity to practice the art of listening deeply and also to experience the impact of narrating of your story to an interested and skilled listener. 

This course is designed for: family genealogists/keepers of the stories, writers, auto/biographers and those people who yearn to capture and record some of the family stories before it is too late. No experience is required just a passion for storytelling and family history.

Expected learning outcomes:

• gain an experience of interviewing and being interviewed
• acquire a set of biographical questions to begin an oral history enquiry
• contemplate interviewer/participant relationship: trust building, ethics and privileges of this work
• understand preparatory stages, record keeping, confidentiality and ethics, interview technique and how to facilitate storytelling

Course postponed due to illness. New date Sunday 22 September 2024
When: 10am- 4pm Sunday 22 September 2024 
Where: Selwyn College Auckland 
Fee: $150  Please register your interest at  
Bring A pen and A4 lined notebook.
Register https://www.selwyncomed.school.nz/courses/2104-recording-oral-histories-with-deborah-shepard/