Educational implications of a documentation and animation project in the local community – between theory and practice. “Oral history of the City of Lublin” by the “Grodzka Gate – NN Theatre” Centre

• Main Author: Marta Kubiszyn
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ośrodek "Pamięć i Przyszłość" - "Remembrance and Future" Centre 2012-10-01
• Series: Wrocławski Rocznik Historii Mówionej
• Subjects: oral history; „grodzka gate – nn theatre” centre; education
• Online Access: https://wrhm.pl/wrhm/article/view/29/21

Despite the fact that there are more and more contemporary academic publications on the subject of oral history understood as an element of research technique, as a separate research technique or as a specific theoretical and methodological approach, rarely do we see thorough analyses of educational potential of oral history projects realized by various institutions all over Poland. In the available publications and websites one can find information and instruction material that can serve as a starting point for the delivery of documentation projects, however, there are still few educational proposals that go beyond recording, editing and archiving of accounts. Although possibilities of using oral history in broadly understood educational field are noticed, few researches try to include this subject into broader context of contemporary pedagogical theories, concepts developed on the basis of cultural animation or discussions concerning activities for commemorating the past. In the presented article matters relating to education and pedagogical potential of social projects using oral history technique, are analyzed in three overlapping areas, including: shaping of competences at an individual level (by people taking part in an oral history project), creation – at an institutional level – of the educational offer targeted at local communities as well as artistic projects realized by individuals and institutions with the use of oral history narrations. In the next part of the article those questions are analyzed in the context of experience with self-government cultural institution – ‘Grodzka Gate – NN Theatre’ Centre in Lublin realizing a documentation and animation project ‘Oral History of the City’, which was delivered with the perspective of broadly understood community education and it was targeted at supporting processes of reading and (re-)interpreting multicultural past of the city.