PROPOSAL TYPE
Working Group
SEEKING
- Seeking General Feedback and Interest
- Seeking Additional Presenters
RELATED TOPICS
- Memory
- Place
- Public Engagement
ABSTRACT
I’m hoping to propose a working group that would collaborate on developing a resource of “shovel-ready” pop-up interpretive public history projects – maybe just a zine of project ideas that we can all share among ourselves and utilize in our home spaces. In particular, I’m hoping we can discuss how our communities engage in open interpretation on walking tours, through pop-up exhibits in public spaces, and through spontaneous or anarchic historical narration in non-traditional contexts or using methods or means not usually utilized by traditional public history projects.
DESCRIPTION
I’m hoping to propose a working group that would collaborate on developing a resource of “shovel-ready” pop-up interpretive public history projects – maybe just a zine of project ideas that we can all share among ourselves and utilize in our home spaces. In particular, I’m hoping we can discuss how our communities engage in open interpretation on walking tours, through pop-up exhibits in public spaces, and through spontaneous or anarchic historical narration in non-traditional contexts or using methods or means not usually utilized by traditional public history projects. My hope is that this would lead to discussion specifically for activating the undertold histories of historical and cultural landscapes – urban and suburban spaces and agricultural or natural areas – where people don’t often expect to “receive” historical knowledge. Leading up to the Semiquincentennial of the American Revolution in 2026, I think this could help generate a particularly useful set of ideas for public historians to engage communities who don’t think US history, the 250th, or historic sites in general, are “for them”. Really creative ideas have been emerging from 250th planning across the country, including “tavern talks”, a collaboration between Revolution NJ (the 250th planning body for the state) and craft breweries, in which costumed interpreters pop up at bars and invite people to debate topics related to the revolution, in 18th & 21st century contexts. Or forms of protest of monuments and markers that promote white supremacy – posting copies of primary sources showing receipts for the sale of enslaved African Americans at a statue of an enslaver in a city park.
I hope we can invite people to participate who would be interested in sharing these kinds of germs of project ideas that we can all consider how they might be applied in our own contexts, adapted and utilized broadly.
It would be great to have participants in this working group who are interested in engaging with audiences and collaborators who are not usually reached through museum visitation or program participation. How can we use “pop up” interpretation to reach folks who can’t pay the admission fee to museums in your town, or don’t have the time to come to a special event at your site? Please join the brainstorm!
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: Kristin O’Brasill-Kulfan
ALL FEEDBACK AND OFFERS OF ASSISTANCE SHOULD BE SUBMITTED BY JULY 10, 2024. If you have general ideas or feedback to share, please feel free to use the comments feature below.
This sounds great, and I particularly like the creative aspect.
I think a working group is a great modality for this proposal. If you decide on a working group, then you would post this as a proposal and individuals would apply to join you. You could spend time before the meeting deciding together exactly what you hope to accomplish at the meeting. So, in short, the working group model will allow participants to find you!