Advanced Oral History Workshop
This workshop is delivered online only.
This workshop is for oral historians looking to share experiences and discuss issues that can arise when recording oral history. Guided by the trainers you will reflect on interviewing practices and strengthen your oral history skills through listening sessions and feedback. Each workshop is led by two accredited trainers, with the course content adapted to suit the participants. Each participant submits a short clip from one of their interviews in advance, for playback and discussion during the workshop.
Topics that are commonly discussed during the workshop include: traumatic events, well rehearsed stories, family interventions, over-sharing, positionality of interviewer, when to interrupt, how far to probe, dealing with sensitive topics, interviewee’s construction of narrative, and the ethics of editing. This list is not exhaustive and the training does not set out to address these areas specifically. The trainers will respond to questions and issues raised by the workshop participants and their interview clips.
Participants are required to have recorded at least two oral history interviews prior to attending. The workshop isn’t suitable for newcomers to oral history, who are advised to begin with the Introduction to Oral History course.
Places are limited to 8 participants per course so please apply early.
Pre-course activity
Participants are asked to spend a little time preparing for the workshop. Each participant is required to send a 5-10 minute clip from one of their interviews to the Training Administrator 10 days before the workshop. The clips will be played during the training workshop and should draw attention to a particular topic/issue which you would like to discuss with the group. If your chosen clip is not in English please also submit a translated transcript. Further instructions will be distributed with the booking confirmation email.
Course Structure
This online training workshop is delivered using Zoom video call over two consecutive morning sessions, 9.30am – 1.15pm. The programme for the workshop is as follows:
Timezone: London, UK.
First day: 9.30am – 1.15pm
- 09:30 – 09:45 Welcome and introductions
- 09:45 – 10:45 Overview of oral history project from each participant, including a strength and a weakness
- 10:45 – 11:00 Break
- 11:00 – 11:30 Overview from each participant (continued)
- 11:30 – 12:15 Reflection and discussion of issues arising in oral history extracts provided by participants
- 12:15 – 12:30 Break
- 12:30 – 13:15 Reflection and discussion of issues arising in oral history extracts provided by participants (continued)
Second day: 9.30am – 1.15pm
- 09:30 – 10:45 Reflection and discussion of issues arising in oral history extracts provided by participants (continued)
- 10:45 – 11:00 Break
- 11:00 – 12:15 Scenarios: the tutors present a number of problematic scenarios to be discussed in small groups
- 12:15 – 12:30 Break
- 12:30 – 13:00 Scenarios (continued)
- 13:00 – 13:15 Evaluation of the workshop and Q & A
Course prices
2026
Full attendance fee: £162.00
OHS member fee: £119.00
OHS membership starts at £39 per year for an individual. For more information and to sign up follow this link to the memberships page.
Please note:
- There will be no refunds for cancelled places
- Due to high demand and in order to ensure that each course has attendees with a variety of interests and backgrounds, a maximum of two people from any one institution or project may book to attend each course.
Questions about training opportunities with the OHS?
Booking is open for the following training dates:
Click on your chosen date to complete the booking form.
