Once a year, the Regional Advisors Network (RAN) meets to discuss recent developments and best practice in oral history and to share our experiences as advisors for the Oral History Society. These annual events are always lively and positive occasions, and this year we were offered the opportunity for OHS members to join us, for a program of talks around the theme of Oral History and Health.
The RAN is made up of accredited individuals from around the UK, who are experienced in oral history. The advisors act as a first point of contact for hundreds of oral history enquiries, giving free advice and guidance to individuals and groups every year. We are always on the lookout for locations willing to host an event, so we were extremely fortunate this year to partner with Nottingham Trent University and grateful to Verusca Calabria for arranging funding for the event.
One of our Regional Advisors for the East Midlands, Cynthia Brown, opened up the day with a thoughtful speech which underscored the importance of collecting oral histories which reference illness, health and the importance of the NHS.
Dr Verusca Calabria, (Nottingham Trent University) led an inspiring session on Co-producing Mental Health Histories. This illustrated how a participatory oral history project that embraced the arts, enabled people with long-term psychiatric disabilities to improve their capabilities, while also learning new skills, taking ownership of the research, as well as actively shaping the content and nature of the outputs through co-production. This was a great example of working in partnership to create enriching outcomes.
Our next speaker, a Regional Advisor for Yorkshire, Dr Sam Smith, (University of Sheffield), spoke about how oral history is experienced at the end of life, from various perspectives. He discussed how his PhD developed a grounded theory for understanding oral history in palliative and supportive care, using constructivist grounded theory research of the topic. In discussing how his theory could be explored and used by oral historians and health care professionals, Sam offered a deeper understanding for the wider oral history community about conducting interviews in sensitive settings.
Oral historian and film maker Martin Bisiker, Founder of the Legasee Educational Trust and a Regional Advisor for London, spoke next about when concealed trauma in oral history surfaced during his filmed interviews with civilians and military veterans. He reflected on the impact that these moments had on both himself and the interviewees, and he facilitated an animated discussion on how participants perceived these emotions and how we would respond in the same situation.
The final presentation of the day, Healing Dialogue: Oral History as a Tool in Mental Health Recovery, was from Nicola Benge, of Living Histories. The talk explored the role of oral history in supporting mental health recovery, in a project embedded in an NHS Trust. Nicola highlighted how personal narratives can offer deeper insight into mental health care. She shared insights into some of the challenges and ethical complexities of oral history, as well as lessons learned from collaborating with interdisciplinary teams. Attendees were encouraged to consider how oral history can be integrated into their own work, to offer learning, foster understanding and healing.
We concluded with an open discussion of the day’s topic, hosted by John Gabriel, Chair of the Oral History Society. Finally, as we posed for the obligatory group photo, we paused to add up the collective experience of the Regional Advisors who were present. With over 500 collective years of wisdom and experience between us, no wonder the Regional Network is able to offer informed advice and support about all aspects of oral history.
For more information about the work of the Regional Network in your area, please follow the link on the OHS webpages.
