Describing the oral history interview as "archaeology of the mind", Curator of Oral History at the State Library of NSW, Rosemary Block, recently captivated over thirty participants in an Oral History Workshop at Bega. With financial assistance from South East Arts Region (Regional Arts NSW) through a CASP grant (Country Arts Support Program), Theatre Onset facilitated the workshop as part of its "Trains of Thought" oral history project.
Introduced as a "practical seminar", the workshop proved to be a dynamic process inspired by extensive notes as well as the presentation of several fascinating oral recordings, including the first ever made in Australia in 1957 by Dame Mary Gilmore, reading from her book "Old Days Old Ways".
Rosemary pointed out that private memory is now valued as much as material provided by historians and newspapers. "The colour, texture, resonance and speed of the voice" help make oral history interviews a "much gentler process than journalism".
Participants fielded questions from a diverse range of backgrounds, including history, genealogy, social support (Meals on Wheels, Alzheimer's Association), counselling, aged care nursing, teaching, installation arts, acting, radio, journalism, writing (books, stories, poetry, songs), and business administration. Rosemary was grateful for their interesting questions and valuable input to the topic of reminiscence.
Theatre Onset is pleased to have received offers of support from many of the workshop participants with future stages of its oral history project, Trains of Thought. This will involve the collection of oral stories from the Bega Valley Shire community, linking with existing similar projects in Eden and Bermagui, and then creating performance, radio, poetry and songs inspired by some of the collected material.
Working closely with Bega Valley Meals on Wheels Co-operative, Theatre Onset will be helping to record clients' reminiscences and giving a copy of these recordings back to interviewees. In the future Theatre Onset will seek written permission from selected interviewees to use some of their recordings for the Trains of Thought project.
If you are interested in participating in this project as an interviewer, please contact Fiona Scott at Bega Valley Meals on Wheels Co-operative on 64924146. As a Meals on Wheels volunteer, some financial assistance is available with travelling costs incurred while working on the interview process.
People with experience in digital recording and editing are encouraged to participate even if just for a few hours a week. For further information please contact Sally Cantrill at sallycan@southernphone.com.au or phone 02 64920040 / 0432 548406.
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