LUIS PAOLO FERRAZ, BROWN UNIVERSITY
Proposal Type
Traditional Panel
Seeking
- Seeking Additional Presenters
- Seeking General Feedback and Interest
Related Topics
- Place
- Public Engagement
- Reflections on the Field
Abstract
“História ao Ar Livre (Open Air History): Public History in the Streets, Squares, and Parks of Recife, Brazil”
In 2015, the project of public history and dissemination of history História ao Ar Livre appeared in the city of Recife. Since then, 12 editions happened, covering streets, squares, and parks, dialoguing with people, the past, the history of the city, and the public space.
Based on the idea that to democratize history is to make it public, the project believes that historical knowledge must be democratized, leaving the walls of universities and reaching society, and occupying and valuing public spaces as an essential environment.
I will discuss the project’s experience and the challenges of making public history in public spaces.
Description
This panel seeks to discuss initiatives that face the challenges of making public history and the dissemination of history in public spaces. The panel aims to understand different projects’ scope, limits, and possibilities for expansion and realization. It hopes to discuss the dissemination of history in public spaces, for a varied audience, broad and beyond the academic world as an essential goal of public history projects made in the open air on public spaces. Thus, making history ‘in the open air’ is also ‘making history’ in the public space, amidst the historical heritage, the living spaces of the city, amid the people who circulate through the places.
I am looking for more panelists who want to discuss public history projects in public spaces and share experiences.
If you have a direct offer of assistance, sensitive criticism, or wish to pass along someone’s contact information confidentially, please get in contact directly: Luis Paolo Ferraz, Brown University
All feedback and offers of assistance should be submitted by July 6, 2020. If you have general ideas or feedback to share, please feel free to use the comments feature below.
Great idea, especially amid all of the public protests going on this year.
Could be useful to also explore (1) how projects logistically can happen in public spaces; (2) what processes of stakeholder involvement are crucial to open-air public history, to ensure that one group is not coopting public space and an historical narrative at the expense of others, (3) what techniques can engage passersby in these open-air public history exhibits in meaningful ways, and (4) how is an open-air exhibit in the city different from an indoor exhibit in a building that is free and open to the public– so, what unique challenges exist for public histories told on the streets of our cities?
I apologize for not having seen your comment before, for some reason, I thought I would receive the comments by email.
I think your questions are great and can be an interesting guiding thread in this panel. I greatly appreciate the comments and questions.
I am very interested in joining the panel. I am specifically interested in discussing African American history events and tours as full-sensory experiences and the challenges and triumphs of curating and executing “live” history experiences in public spheres with the aim of deep engagement.
I apologize for not having seen your comment before, for some reason, I thought I would receive the comments by email.
Hello Kimberly, I am happy that you liked the proposal. I am happy to share the experience I have in Brazill with the Open Air History on public and open spaces.
This exciting project has me thinking about Ruth Sergel’s See You in the Streets, which was about public history in public spaces and the process of developing it. In addition to Jackie Gonzales’ terrific questions, I would want to know more about how these projects developed – did they reflect the democratic values they are meant to transmit to viewers? How and what were the successes and challenges there?
I apologize for not having seen your comment before, for some reason, I thought I would receive the comments by email.
Hello Katrine, like Jackie Gozales’ questions, you questions are very important, especially with regard to the successes and challenges of these projects. Such a discussion can help us to see how to make these experiences replicable in other environments, a crucial subjet to be discussed in the panel.