Listening in Place - Remote Interviewing for the Sound Archive will introduce the Vermont Folklife Center’s crowd-sourced documentary project as well as offer tools and methods for engaging in remote recording and community-based research.
The VFC launched its Listening in Place initiative at the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic as a way to maintain connections, strengthen our relationships, engage with personal stories during a time of struggle and create a record of what Vermonters were experiencing. As the pandemic persists and we continue to adapt to its realities, we believe the work of documenting and reflecting on our experiences and listening to the experiences of our fellow Vermonters remains vital.
A core component of the Listening in Place initiative is the Sound Archive, an open access, crowdsourced collection of person-to-person interviews documenting people’s experiences of the pandemic and beyond. This workshop is presented as a complement to the online resources developed for Listening in Place and will walk participants through the steps involved in contributing to the Sound Archive. These skills may also be put to use in participants’ independent documentary projects. Topics covered will include:
An introduction to the VFC’s approach to ethnographic interviewing and community-based research/documentation
Tools, tips and technology for recording remote interviews (audio and/or video)
A discussion of the value of archives and approaches to building public archives
An overview of the Sound Archive submission process
The workshop will leave participants with the opportunity to contribute to the Sound Archive, an open access, crowdsourced audio collection of responses to the pandemic and 2020.
This workshop is intended for anyone interested in developing collaborative documentary or community-based research skills. This includes students, community members, staff members of organizations doing cultural, community and social-service work or anyone looking to make a first effort at remote recording and media-production. No prior experience is needed. Most tools presented are available online, for little to no cost (higher-end, paid options will also be discussed).
Instructors: Mary Wesley, Audio Producer and VFC Education & Media Specialist; Alexandra (Sasha) Antohin, VFC Director of Education