The Divergence between Artistic and Academic Dissemination of Oral History: Beyond the Archive – From the Spoken Word through Performance to Moving Images

Abstract

This article explores the creative uses of oral history beyond the archive. How does the artistic framing of oral history create an invaluable public platform for the voices behind the stories? Traditional oral history for research purposes is undoubtedly a wellspring of information which unfortunately often remains under-utilised in the archive. In terms of popular and accessible forms of public dissemination, the merits of artistic dissemination of oral history in the form of video documentaries and performance are discussed. The article focuses on Street Stories (a series of documentaries shot over three years by the Centre for Popular Memory) and on Cargo, a physical theatre collaboration between Jazz Art and the Magnet Company.

Keywords:

• archive
• dissemination
• oral history
• audio-visual
• documentaries
• performance