The course has covered a wide range of elements, including oral history, a skills project and the creation of a radio programme. We’ve also written a conventional dissertation assessing the condition of the heritage industry and analysing how heritage institutions respond to current challenges. While finally there was the final project – our own individual masterpieces of public history. (For those with insider knowledge – yes I did skip over the Concepts module, for it is now a vague and very distant memory!) The creative elements of this course have allowed me to pursue elements of history that are particularly interesting for me and along the way I’ve met and made contact with some truly fascinating people. So, with that in mind there have been a few highlights from the year which really stick out for me and I really just wanted to share them with you.
The first part that really sticks out is the oral history
interviews I conducted back in the winter term. I had no idea that there was so
much involved in carrying out oral history and while that made for slightly
daunting task, once you’ve got your head around it and actually get going, it’s
fantastic. I’m a chatty person anyway and I like to hear about people’s
stories, yet in this setting you’re potentially being invited in to some quite
personal or intimate moments in that person’s life and I hadn’t really
appreciated that before being taught this module by one of the best! It’ a
valuable historical approach for making inclusive history and it’s definitely
something I would look at doing again in the future. Anyway, I digress. So, in
keeping with my interest in the history of the wild animal trade and zoological
collections, I was fortunate to be able to interview two zoo keepers, one now
retired with over 50 years’ experience and the other still in the job, with 30
years’ experience. Research cannot compare to the unique insight these
individuals had to offer and I learnt so much about how zoos work behind the
scenes, and for a historian in this field, that was a really valuable
experience. I know there is this air of hesitation for zoos to open up about
their history and I understand the reason for that and it conflicting with
their current principles, but that evolution is a hugely interesting process and
getting to know more about that from the perspective of those who helped to
assist in that process, was one of my favourite parts of the year.
The second has to be the radio programme! For this I chose
to look at the effect of WW2 on animals, and the story that began to emerge was
not one I’d expected. The final programme looked at the impact on pets rather
than the unique uses of animals in the war effort and it was a really
enlightening area to look at. Having been taught the history of WW2 all through
school and right up to university level, you think you know it all – or at
least have a good grasp on it. But in doing this programme the view I had that
animals can offer alternative ways of looking at the past was really
reinforced, because in researching this programme and speaking with experts, I
realised that so much more went on during the war, especially on the Home Front,
than I could ever have imagined. I don’t think I’d ever asked before, what
happened to peoples pets, or to the animals in zoos? You just don’t do you –
when you think of war you think of the human experience and not the animal one.
So yes, not only was the topic one I was completely enthused by, but in
searching for speakers I also made valuable contacts – because as much as this
course is about expanding knowledge, it’s also about getting to grips with the
professional world; and making contacts and exchanging information is hugely
important to that process.
The feedback I had for this programme put the icing on the cake, because I’m not really creative or musical and so to be told I “have a good ear” was something I could gloat about to my musically talented younger brother! It was just a really enjoyable experience; taking a concept, researching it and conducting interviews, and finally editing it together into a programme that people want to listen too.
The feedback I had for this programme put the icing on the cake, because I’m not really creative or musical and so to be told I “have a good ear” was something I could gloat about to my musically talented younger brother! It was just a really enjoyable experience; taking a concept, researching it and conducting interviews, and finally editing it together into a programme that people want to listen too.
As a final note, I have to talk about the final project and
the pop-up exhibition I curated on the history of the wild animal trade. In
pursuing ambitious plans for this project and trying to create as many
opportunities as possible, I made contact with numerous institutions, not all
successfully, but those that were met with positive responses had and continue
to have, the potential to be hugely exciting. Whether I really do create a
larger installation, or manage to take my research to a new medium and new
audience, I don’t know. Who knows what the future has in store but it’s all
good experience and adds to this remarkable journey.
Furthermore, hosting Who
Let the Lions Out? at LMA last Friday was perhaps the most fitting way to
end what has been a remarkable year. I’d been planning this event since
February, secured speakers, conducted research and recruited an audience – it
was hard work but what a way to finish! I’ve been going on about the fact that
the history of animals, or however you want to phrase it, is somewhat new and
to have an event where that is the focus and to be responsible for that event,
gave me a real sense of accomplishment. I really felt like I’d achieved
something and it confirmed that for me this is the path I want to follow. I do
want to do the PhD and get this largely untold story out there. I’m enthused
and excited about what lies ahead and the MA has equipped me with many of the
skills I need to embrace every opportunity. So watch this space…
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