The International Oral History Association (IOHA) Biennial Conference, scheduled to be held in Singapore 22-26 June 2020, has been postponed until 2021 due to concerns over the coronavirus (COVID-19).
In a short statement the IOHA said it was postponing the conference in accordance with the WHO declaration of the virus as a world-wide pandemic and after much review and discussion by the IOHA Council.
‘This is in accordance with our Constitution which allows the Conference to be held every two to three years. It is now proposed to reassess the situation over the next months to determine when the Conference may be rescheduled safely,’ the statement said.
‘Our thanks go to Conference organizers, speakers and all of those involved in the Conference for their patience during these challenging times.’
The IOHA conference is one of a number of events to be cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19. The Austrlaian Historical Association announced it would not be proceeding with its annual conference scheduled to be held at Deakin University in Geelong from 29 June to 3 July.
Members of Oral History Australia’s state associations are encouraged to look out for announcements about events in their region.
Oral History Victoria this week announced it was cancelling two workshops scheduled to be held on 21 and 28 March 2020 due to the situation with COVID-19.
Applications are now open for the National Library’s 2020 Community Heritage Grants (CHG) program and its 2021 fellowships program.
Community Heritage Grants program
provides grants of up to $15,000 to community organisations such as libraries, archives, museums, genealogical and historical societies, multicultural and Indigenous groups. The grants are provided to assist with the preservation of locally owned, but nationally significant collections of materials that are publicly accessible including artefacts, letters, diaries, maps, photographs, and audio visual material.
The types of projects supported include
- significance assessments of collections
- preservation needs assessments of collections
- conservation activities and collection management, and
- training workshops.
Applications close 5pm, Monday 4 May 2020 (AEST).
For further information about the grants go to: www.nla.gov.au/content/community-heritage-grants.
For details on how to apply, go to: www.nla.gov.au/chg/guidelines
Fellowships program
The National Library of Australia, in partnership with its generous sponsors and donors, offers researchers an opportunity to undertake a 12-week residency at the Library. Applicants may work in any field or discipline where the Library’s collections have appropriate depth and breadth to support the desired outcomes.
Fellowships are available to researchers who require onsite access to the Library’s uniquely held or extensive collections to advance their research towards publication or other public outcomes. Fellowships will:
- contribute to a greater public understanding or knowledge of the Library’s collections
- promote discussion through research which informs and engages contemporary discourse
- enhance the national and international reputation of the National Library as an institution of major research significance
- actively promote the research experience and outcomes.
Applications for the 2021 program round close at Friday 24 April 2020 at 5pm (AEST).
For further information about the fellowships go to: www.nla.gov.au/awards-and-grants/fellowships-and-scholarships/national-library-of-australia-fellowship.
Like other organisations Oral History Victoria (OHV) is closely monitoring the unfolding situation concerning the coronavirus COVID-19.
As a result, our management committee today decided to cancel two upcoming events:
- 21 Mar 2020 – Workshop 1A – Introduction to oral history practice
- 28 Mar 2020 – Workshop 1B – Conducting oral history interviews on sensitive and painful subjects.
Those registered for these two events were contacted and their booking fees reimbursed.
We apologise for any inconvenience these cancellations might cause, but our primary concern is the health and safety of workshop participants and the broader public. We hope to reschedule the events later in the year if possible.
In the absence of these face-to-face events, we encourage you to pursue your love of oral history through the wealth of resources online on our website and related websites. Why not have a look at some of our members work or check out the latest issue of our newsletter Rewind?
We’ll continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and if any future OHV events also need to be postponed or cancelled we’ll post information about that directly to members, on our website and through our social media channels.
If you’re travelling to events being staged by other organisations, such as the International Oral History Association’s conference in Singapore in June, please ensure you are checking the latest updates including those of the Australian Government’s Health Department website and the Smartraveller website.
If you have any queries about this statement or our events program, please contact us on contact.oralhistoryvictoria@gmail.com.
We hope to see you at an event in the near future.
