The Exciting World and Dynamic Career of Oral History: A Workshop

Sept. 21, 2011 - PRLog -- Saturday, November 5th, 9:00 to 4:00 at the Sheraton Petaluma’s Marina
Overlook Room, 745 Baywood Drive, Petaluma, CA 94954

Many people have lived through history that changed our communities and our
world. Their individual stories are priceless, and need to be recorded to
document and make meaning of the past. "I agree with Studs Terkel, who
believed 'In their rememberings are their truths'", said Kelly Sturgeon, workshop
presenter. "How we remember the past is important. It impacts our identity as
individuals. As a society we benefit from a record of history that includes
multiples perspectives; adding authenticity, and in many cases, giving new voice
to conventional history."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8izaua9qDU



Oral history is a field that is rapidly growing because of the pressing need to
preserve the powerful stories of ordinary people. Sitting with a stranger and
capturing his or her personal experience of historic events creates a link between
generations and enriches our understanding of history. In addition, we are
sometimes asked to record the oral history of a terminally ill client as a loving gift
for the family. In this special form of interview, the “storycatcher” experiences a
highly spiritual honor, traveling on the client’s life journey while helping him or her
make peace with life and family.

This is a fulfilling, fascinating career that practitioners never tire of, for each story
is dramatically different. The workshop is designed for anyone with a passion for
storytelling, whether you are a family member wanting to document family
history, an educator striving to bring history to life for your students, a
professional working on a community project, or if you wish to begin your own
practice as an oral historian. Workshop presenter Kelly Sturgeon ensures that
participants will learn “the best practices” for recording and archiving oral
histories, as established by the Oral History Association.

The workshop will focus on:
1. Interviewing techniques
2. Preserving photographs
3. Recording interviews with audio and video
4. Oral history projects for the classroom
5. Ideas and support for starting your project

The Professionals
• Kelly Sturgeon – oral history practitioner for 20 years, creator of
OralHistoryEducation.com, proprietor of My Storycatcher, oral history curator
for the Vietnam Veterans of California project, and RCFE Administrator;
• Berkley Sturgeon – multi-media producer, proprietor of My Storycatcher, and
website designer.
• Lonny Weissman -- educator and Vietnam Veteran; and
• Pamela Camille – published author, reverend, and writing instructor.

This workshop is sponsored by the California Oral History Project, My
Storycatcher, OralHistoryEducation.com, and Creekside Cottage Assisted
Living. The workshop fee is $100, with a special discount for professionals and
volunteers from the hospice care field.

To learn more and register, visit
http://oralhistoryeducation.com/summer-workshop,
www.mystorycatcher.com, or email Kelly@mystorycatcher.com.

Media Contact: Kelly Sturgeon, 415-515-5111, Kelly@mystorycatcher.com.
Photographs for print and online media are available and include a variety of
historic photographs and photographs from a diverse range of oral history
projects.

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Our professional team documents and preserves history for families, organizations, museums, schools, and communities. Bringing story to life through multiple mediums. We are oral historians, educators, audio experts, video producers, and web designers.