New Directions in Active History and the Consulting Historian

In early October, a group of active historians met in London, Ontario, to discuss the future of their project. Active history seeks to strengthen the connection between the past and the present, often intervening in contemporary policy and cultural debates. This fall’s conference at Huron University College, co-sponsored by the National Council on Public History, was the second in-person meeting of the many practitioners associated with the popular Active History group blog. Delegates came from a variety of historical disciplines, including archivists, actors, artists, civil servants, curators, graduate students, high school teachers, history journalists, and university professors.

Consulting historians are no strangers to active history, even if we don’t always use the term. As Jennifer Stevens wrote in June, “without the benefit of a historian’s expertise, it’s hard to know what may be misremembered and whether we are repeating the mistakes of the past.” Stevens’ work in Boise, Idaho, would have fit in alongside the diverse projects presented in London. Indeed, while most of the participants were not consultants, consultants can learn many useful lessons from active historians–ranging from forging valuable professional connections to tips on monetizing historical writing and highlighting the multiple, and multifaceted, avenues for historically informed work.

The importance of audience was a constant theme throughout the conference. In his remarks at the opening plenary panel, independent historical writer Christopher Moore warned against merely preaching to the choir. Reaching wider audiences means finding ways to make history relevant to them. Co-panelist Wendy Rowney of Black Creek Pioneer Village stressed the importance of knowing the demographics of one’s audience and, in her experience at a living history museum, providing age- and location-appropriate content.

During their writing workshop, Alan MacEachern of Western University and Jessica Knapp of Canada’s History Magazine took this a step further, emphasizing the different forms of writing that newspaper and magazine editors expect. These two media are of particular value as outlets for consulting historians–unlike academic articles or group blog posts, newspapers and magazines often pay their contributors and can be a valuable alternative revenue stream for consultants who also pursue their own research.

Alan underlined the importance of leaping on any opportunity that comes your way, something familiar to consultants. After lamenting passing up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to write an environmental history op-ed of the 1997 ice storm, he reminded us to tell timely stories or, as a person in another panel put it, to “link worthwhile research to worthless anniversaries.” Similar to Wendy’s observation at living history museums, telling timely stories in newspapers and magazines helps contextualize current debates for policymakers who will likely never read longer academic articles.

My panel provided an example of the multiple avenues available for historically informed work. Manitoba Research Alliance’s Sarah Story’s cross-cultural work with indigenous communities in Winnipeg demonstrated the importance of empathy and commitment in building relationships with (and archival collections for) traditionally marginalized communities. Archival consultant Amanda Hill’s tireless promotion of the Deseronto Archives, both online and in her community, engages the historical consciousness of Deseronto residents and helps secure the funding the archives needs to keep her at work.

The diversity of skills and projects on display at the conference highlights the importance of active and public history to the consulting historian. In a panel on the future of public history programs in Canada [1], one professional panelist explained that, as an employer of public history graduates, he values the variety of skill sets successful public history programs introduce their students to. Beyond academic research methods, the ability to write succinctly, familiarity with project management, and experience in sophisticated group work sets public history students apart and makes them attractive as employees, not just in traditional public history jobs, but also in policy, media, and other areas that benefit from historical perspectives.

This is best epitomized by the keynote performances.  Eschewing the traditional keynote lecture format, the organizers of the conference invited Staging Our Histories to present a series of one-woman plays, each written and choreographed by its actor. Staging Our Histories has its roots in David Dean’s graduate seminars at the Carleton Centre for Public History in Ottawa, Ontario. By reaching beyond textual, archival, and museum media, the five performances powerfully expanded the window of possibility for historical work.

This expansion of possibility was the most important takeaway from the New Directions in Active History conference for consulting historians. Public and consulting historians have important roles to play beyond our institutions and immediate clients. By keeping in mind the importance of timeliness and community outreach, the opportunities of freelance writing and the world of historical performativity, we can seek new avenues for our historical consulting work.

[1] Thank you to Know History and Carleton University’s Emily Keyes for sharing her notes from this session.

~ Pete Anderson is a PhD candidate in Geography at Queen’s University, Kingston, where he studies the social and environmental history of Ottawa’s Central Experimental Farm. He has worked in public history and allied fields for the Canadian federal government and as a public history consultant. As a consultant, his clients have included family historians, academics, and provincial heritage organizations. Pete is a member of the NCPH’s Consultants Committee and can be found on Twitter @dairpo. He occasionally blogs at his personal website, at Active History, and on the blog of the Network in Canadian History and the Environment.

- See more at: http://publichistorycommons.org/new-directions-in-active-history/#sthash.OLNtn1uT.dpuf

In early October, a group of active historians met in London, Ontario, to discuss the future of their project. Active history seeks to strengthen the connection between the past and the present, often intervening in contemporary policy and cultural debates. This fall’s conference at Huron University College, co-sponsored by the National Council on Public History, was the second in-person meeting of the many practitioners associated with the popular Active History group blog. Delegates came from a variety of historical disciplines, including archivists, actors, artists, civil servants, curators, graduate students, high school teachers, history journalists, and university professors.

Consulting historians are no strangers to active history, even if we don’t always use the term. As Jennifer Stevens wrote in June, “without the benefit of a historian’s expertise, it’s hard to know what may be misremembered and whether we are repeating the mistakes of the past.” Stevens’ work in Boise, Idaho, would have fit in alongside the diverse projects presented in London. Indeed, while most of the participants were not consultants, consultants can learn many useful lessons from active historians–ranging from forging valuable professional connections to tips on monetizing historical writing and highlighting the multiple, and multifaceted, avenues for historically informed work.

The importance of audience was a constant theme throughout the conference. In his remarks at the opening plenary panel, independent historical writer Christopher Moore warned against merely preaching to the choir. Reaching wider audiences means finding ways to make history relevant to them. Co-panelist Wendy Rowney of Black Creek Pioneer Village stressed the importance of knowing the demographics of one’s audience and, in her experience at a living history museum, providing age- and location-appropriate content.

During their writing workshop, Alan MacEachern of Western University and Jessica Knapp of Canada’s History Magazine took this a step further, emphasizing the different forms of writing that newspaper and magazine editors expect. These two media are of particular value as outlets for consulting historians–unlike academic articles or group blog posts, newspapers and magazines often pay their contributors and can be a valuable alternative revenue stream for consultants who also pursue their own research.

Alan underlined the importance of leaping on any opportunity that comes your way, something familiar to consultants. After lamenting passing up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to write an environmental history op-ed of the 1997 ice storm, he reminded us to tell timely stories or, as a person in another panel put it, to “link worthwhile research to worthless anniversaries.” Similar to Wendy’s observation at living history museums, telling timely stories in newspapers and magazines helps contextualize current debates for policymakers who will likely never read longer academic articles.

My panel provided an example of the multiple avenues available for historically informed work. Manitoba Research Alliance’s Sarah Story’s cross-cultural work with indigenous communities in Winnipeg demonstrated the importance of empathy and commitment in building relationships with (and archival collections for) traditionally marginalized communities. Archival consultant Amanda Hill’s tireless promotion of the Deseronto Archives, both online and in her community, engages the historical consciousness of Deseronto residents and helps secure the funding the archives needs to keep her at work.

The diversity of skills and projects on display at the conference highlights the importance of active and public history to the consulting historian. In a panel on the future of public history programs in Canada [1], one professional panelist explained that, as an employer of public history graduates, he values the variety of skill sets successful public history programs introduce their students to. Beyond academic research methods, the ability to write succinctly, familiarity with project management, and experience in sophisticated group work sets public history students apart and makes them attractive as employees, not just in traditional public history jobs, but also in policy, media, and other areas that benefit from historical perspectives.

This is best epitomized by the keynote performances.  Eschewing the traditional keynote lecture format, the organizers of the conference invited Staging Our Histories to present a series of one-woman plays, each written and choreographed by its actor. Staging Our Histories has its roots in David Dean’s graduate seminars at the Carleton Centre for Public History in Ottawa, Ontario. By reaching beyond textual, archival, and museum media, the five performances powerfully expanded the window of possibility for historical work.

This expansion of possibility was the most important takeaway from the New Directions in Active History conference for consulting historians. Public and consulting historians have important roles to play beyond our institutions and immediate clients. By keeping in mind the importance of timeliness and community outreach, the opportunities of freelance writing and the world of historical performativity, we can seek new avenues for our historical consulting work.

[1] Thank you to Know History and Carleton University’s Emily Keyes for sharing her notes from this session.

~ Pete Anderson is a PhD candidate in Geography at Queen’s University, Kingston, where he studies the social and environmental history of Ottawa’s Central Experimental Farm. He has worked in public history and allied fields for the Canadian federal government and as a public history consultant. As a consultant, his clients have included family historians, academics, and provincial heritage organizations. Pete is a member of the NCPH’s Consultants Committee and can be found on Twitter @dairpo. He occasionally blogs at his personal website, at Active History, and on the blog of the Network in Canadian History and the Environment.

- See more at: http://publichistorycommons.org/new-directions-in-active-history/#sthash.OLNtn1uT.dpuf

In early October, a group of active historians met in London, Ontario, to discuss the future of their project. Active history seeks to strengthen the connection between the past and the present, often intervening in contemporary policy and cultural debates. This fall’s conference at Huron University College, co-sponsored by the National Council on Public History, was the second in-person meeting of the many practitioners associated with the popular Active History group blog. Delegates came from a variety of historical disciplines, including archivists, actors, artists, civil servants, curators, graduate students, high school teachers, history journalists, and university professors. - See more at: http://publichistorycommons.org/new-directions-in-active-history/#sthash.OLNtn1uT.dpuf

In early October, a group of active historians met in London, Ontario, to discuss the future of their project. Active history seeks to strengthen the connection between the past and the present, often intervening in contemporary policy and cultural debates. This fall’s conference at Huron University College, co-sponsored by the National Council on Public History, was the second in-person meeting of the many practitioners associated with the popular Active History group blog. Delegates came from a variety of historical disciplines, including archivists, actors, artists, civil servants, curators, graduate students, high school teachers, history journalists, and university professors.

Consulting historians are no strangers to active history, even if we don’t always use the term. As Jennifer Stevens wrote in June, “without the benefit of a historian’s expertise, it’s hard to know what may be misremembered and whether we are repeating the mistakes of the past.” Stevens’ work in Boise, Idaho, would have fit in alongside the diverse projects presented in London. Indeed, while most of the participants were not consultants, consultants can learn many useful lessons from active historians–ranging from forging valuable professional connections to tips on monetizing historical writing and highlighting the multiple, and multifaceted, avenues for historically informed work.

The importance of audience was a constant theme throughout the conference. In his remarks at the opening plenary panel, independent historical writer Christopher Moore warned against merely preaching to the choir. Reaching wider audiences means finding ways to make history relevant to them. Co-panelist Wendy Rowney of Black Creek Pioneer Village stressed the importance of knowing the demographics of one’s audience and, in her experience at a living history museum, providing age- and location-appropriate content.

During their writing workshop, Alan MacEachern of Western University and Jessica Knapp of Canada’s History Magazine took this a step further, emphasizing the different forms of writing that newspaper and magazine editors expect. These two media are of particular value as outlets for consulting historians–unlike academic articles or group blog posts, newspapers and magazines often pay their contributors and can be a valuable alternative revenue stream for consultants who also pursue their own research.

Alan underlined the importance of leaping on any opportunity that comes your way, something familiar to consultants. After lamenting passing up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to write an environmental history op-ed of the 1997 ice storm, he reminded us to tell timely stories or, as a person in another panel put it, to “link worthwhile research to worthless anniversaries.” Similar to Wendy’s observation at living history museums, telling timely stories in newspapers and magazines helps contextualize current debates for policymakers who will likely never read longer academic articles.

My panel provided an example of the multiple avenues available for historically informed work. Manitoba Research Alliance’s Sarah Story’s cross-cultural work with indigenous communities in Winnipeg demonstrated the importance of empathy and commitment in building relationships with (and archival collections for) traditionally marginalized communities. Archival consultant Amanda Hill’s tireless promotion of the Deseronto Archives, both online and in her community, engages the historical consciousness of Deseronto residents and helps secure the funding the archives needs to keep her at work.

The diversity of skills and projects on display at the conference highlights the importance of active and public history to the consulting historian. In a panel on the future of public history programs in Canada [1], one professional panelist explained that, as an employer of public history graduates, he values the variety of skill sets successful public history programs introduce their students to. Beyond academic research methods, the ability to write succinctly, familiarity with project management, and experience in sophisticated group work sets public history students apart and makes them attractive as employees, not just in traditional public history jobs, but also in policy, media, and other areas that benefit from historical perspectives.

This is best epitomized by the keynote performances.  Eschewing the traditional keynote lecture format, the organizers of the conference invited Staging Our Histories to present a series of one-woman plays, each written and choreographed by its actor. Staging Our Histories has its roots in David Dean’s graduate seminars at the Carleton Centre for Public History in Ottawa, Ontario. By reaching beyond textual, archival, and museum media, the five performances powerfully expanded the window of possibility for historical work.

This expansion of possibility was the most important takeaway from the New Directions in Active History conference for consulting historians. Public and consulting historians have important roles to play beyond our institutions and immediate clients. By keeping in mind the importance of timeliness and community outreach, the opportunities of freelance writing and the world of historical performativity, we can seek new avenues for our historical consulting work.

[1] Thank you to Know History and Carleton University’s Emily Keyes for sharing her notes from this session.

~ Pete Anderson is a PhD candidate in Geography at Queen’s University, Kingston, where he studies the social and environmental history of Ottawa’s Central Experimental Farm. He has worked in public history and allied fields for the Canadian federal government and as a public history consultant. As a consultant, his clients have included family historians, academics, and provincial heritage organizations. Pete is a member of the NCPH’s Consultants Committee and can be found on Twitter @dairpo. He occasionally blogs at his personal website, at Active History, and on the blog of the Network in Canadian History and the Environment.

- See more at: http://publichistorycommons.org/new-directions-in-active-history/#sthash.OLNtn1uT.dpuf

In early October, a group of active historians met in London, Ontario, to discuss the future of their project. Active history seeks to strengthen the connection between the past and the present, often intervening in contemporary policy and cultural debates. This fall’s conference at Huron University College, co-sponsored by the National Council on Public History, was the second in-person meeting of the many practitioners associated with the popular Active History group blog. Delegates came from a variety of historical disciplines, including archivists, actors, artists, civil servants, curators, graduate students, high school teachers, history journalists, and university professors.

Consulting historians are no strangers to active history, even if we don’t always use the term. As Jennifer Stevens wrote in June, “without the benefit of a historian’s expertise, it’s hard to know what may be misremembered and whether we are repeating the mistakes of the past.” Stevens’ work in Boise, Idaho, would have fit in alongside the diverse projects presented in London. Indeed, while most of the participants were not consultants, consultants can learn many useful lessons from active historians–ranging from forging valuable professional connections to tips on monetizing historical writing and highlighting the multiple, and multifaceted, avenues for historically informed work.

The importance of audience was a constant theme throughout the conference. In his remarks at the opening plenary panel, independent historical writer Christopher Moore warned against merely preaching to the choir. Reaching wider audiences means finding ways to make history relevant to them. Co-panelist Wendy Rowney of Black Creek Pioneer Village stressed the importance of knowing the demographics of one’s audience and, in her experience at a living history museum, providing age- and location-appropriate content.

During their writing workshop, Alan MacEachern of Western University and Jessica Knapp of Canada’s History Magazine took this a step further, emphasizing the different forms of writing that newspaper and magazine editors expect. These two media are of particular value as outlets for consulting historians–unlike academic articles or group blog posts, newspapers and magazines often pay their contributors and can be a valuable alternative revenue stream for consultants who also pursue their own research.

Alan underlined the importance of leaping on any opportunity that comes your way, something familiar to consultants. After lamenting passing up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to write an environmental history op-ed of the 1997 ice storm, he reminded us to tell timely stories or, as a person in another panel put it, to “link worthwhile research to worthless anniversaries.” Similar to Wendy’s observation at living history museums, telling timely stories in newspapers and magazines helps contextualize current debates for policymakers who will likely never read longer academic articles.

My panel provided an example of the multiple avenues available for historically informed work. Manitoba Research Alliance’s Sarah Story’s cross-cultural work with indigenous communities in Winnipeg demonstrated the importance of empathy and commitment in building relationships with (and archival collections for) traditionally marginalized communities. Archival consultant Amanda Hill’s tireless promotion of the Deseronto Archives, both online and in her community, engages the historical consciousness of Deseronto residents and helps secure the funding the archives needs to keep her at work.

The diversity of skills and projects on display at the conference highlights the importance of active and public history to the consulting historian. In a panel on the future of public history programs in Canada [1], one professional panelist explained that, as an employer of public history graduates, he values the variety of skill sets successful public history programs introduce their students to. Beyond academic research methods, the ability to write succinctly, familiarity with project management, and experience in sophisticated group work sets public history students apart and makes them attractive as employees, not just in traditional public history jobs, but also in policy, media, and other areas that benefit from historical perspectives.

This is best epitomized by the keynote performances.  Eschewing the traditional keynote lecture format, the organizers of the conference invited Staging Our Histories to present a series of one-woman plays, each written and choreographed by its actor. Staging Our Histories has its roots in David Dean’s graduate seminars at the Carleton Centre for Public History in Ottawa, Ontario. By reaching beyond textual, archival, and museum media, the five performances powerfully expanded the window of possibility for historical work.

This expansion of possibility was the most important takeaway from the New Directions in Active History conference for consulting historians. Public and consulting historians have important roles to play beyond our institutions and immediate clients. By keeping in mind the importance of timeliness and community outreach, the opportunities of freelance writing and the world of historical performativity, we can seek new avenues for our historical consulting work.

[1] Thank you to Know History and Carleton University’s Emily Keyes for sharing her notes from this session.

~ Pete Anderson is a PhD candidate in Geography at Queen’s University, Kingston, where he studies the social and environmental history of Ottawa’s Central Experimental Farm. He has worked in public history and allied fields for the Canadian federal government and as a public history consultant. As a consultant, his clients have included family historians, academics, and provincial heritage organizations. Pete is a member of the NCPH’s Consultants Committee and can be found on Twitter @dairpo. He occasionally blogs at his personal website, at Active History, and on the blog of the Network in Canadian History and the Environment.

- See more at: http://publichistorycommons.org/new-directions-in-active-history/#sthash.OLNtn1uT.dpuf

In early October, a group of active historians met in London, Ontario, to discuss the future of their project. Active history seeks to strengthen the connection between the past and the present, often intervening in contemporary policy and cultural debates. This fall’s conference at Huron University College, co-sponsored by the National Council on Public History, was the second in-person meeting of the many practitioners associated with the popular Active History group blog. Delegates came from a variety of historical disciplines, including archivists, actors, artists, civil servants, curators, graduate students, high school teachers, history journalists, and university professors.

Consulting historians are no strangers to active history, even if we don’t always use the term. As Jennifer Stevens wrote in June, “without the benefit of a historian’s expertise, it’s hard to know what may be misremembered and whether we are repeating the mistakes of the past.” Stevens’ work in Boise, Idaho, would have fit in alongside the diverse projects presented in London. Indeed, while most of the participants were not consultants, consultants can learn many useful lessons from active historians–ranging from forging valuable professional connections to tips on monetizing historical writing and highlighting the multiple, and multifaceted, avenues for historically informed work.

The importance of audience was a constant theme throughout the conference. In his remarks at the opening plenary panel, independent historical writer Christopher Moore warned against merely preaching to the choir. Reaching wider audiences means finding ways to make history relevant to them. Co-panelist Wendy Rowney of Black Creek Pioneer Village stressed the importance of knowing the demographics of one’s audience and, in her experience at a living history museum, providing age- and location-appropriate content.

During their writing workshop, Alan MacEachern of Western University and Jessica Knapp of Canada’s History Magazine took this a step further, emphasizing the different forms of writing that newspaper and magazine editors expect. These two media are of particular value as outlets for consulting historians–unlike academic articles or group blog posts, newspapers and magazines often pay their contributors and can be a valuable alternative revenue stream for consultants who also pursue their own research.

Alan underlined the importance of leaping on any opportunity that comes your way, something familiar to consultants. After lamenting passing up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to write an environmental history op-ed of the 1997 ice storm, he reminded us to tell timely stories or, as a person in another panel put it, to “link worthwhile research to worthless anniversaries.” Similar to Wendy’s observation at living history museums, telling timely stories in newspapers and magazines helps contextualize current debates for policymakers who will likely never read longer academic articles.

My panel provided an example of the multiple avenues available for historically informed work. Manitoba Research Alliance’s Sarah Story’s cross-cultural work with indigenous communities in Winnipeg demonstrated the importance of empathy and commitment in building relationships with (and archival collections for) traditionally marginalized communities. Archival consultant Amanda Hill’s tireless promotion of the Deseronto Archives, both online and in her community, engages the historical consciousness of Deseronto residents and helps secure the funding the archives needs to keep her at work.

The diversity of skills and projects on display at the conference highlights the importance of active and public history to the consulting historian. In a panel on the future of public history programs in Canada [1], one professional panelist explained that, as an employer of public history graduates, he values the variety of skill sets successful public history programs introduce their students to. Beyond academic research methods, the ability to write succinctly, familiarity with project management, and experience in sophisticated group work sets public history students apart and makes them attractive as employees, not just in traditional public history jobs, but also in policy, media, and other areas that benefit from historical perspectives.

This is best epitomized by the keynote performances.  Eschewing the traditional keynote lecture format, the organizers of the conference invited Staging Our Histories to present a series of one-woman plays, each written and choreographed by its actor. Staging Our Histories has its roots in David Dean’s graduate seminars at the Carleton Centre for Public History in Ottawa, Ontario. By reaching beyond textual, archival, and museum media, the five performances powerfully expanded the window of possibility for historical work.

This expansion of possibility was the most important takeaway from the New Directions in Active History conference for consulting historians. Public and consulting historians have important roles to play beyond our institutions and immediate clients. By keeping in mind the importance of timeliness and community outreach, the opportunities of freelance writing and the world of historical performativity, we can seek new avenues for our historical consulting work.

[1] Thank you to Know History and Carleton University’s Emily Keyes for sharing her notes from this session.

~ Pete Anderson is a PhD candidate in Geography at Queen’s University, Kingston, where he studies the social and environmental history of Ottawa’s Central Experimental Farm. He has worked in public history and allied fields for the Canadian federal government and as a public history consultant. As a consultant, his clients have included family historians, academics, and provincial heritage organizations. Pete is a member of the NCPH’s Consultants Committee and can be found on Twitter @dairpo. He occasionally blogs at his personal website, at Active History, and on the blog of the Network in Canadian History and the Environment.

- See more at: http://publichistorycommons.org/new-directions-in-active-history/#sthash...

~ Pete Anderson is a PhD candidate in Geography at Queen’s University, Kingston, where he studies the social and environmental history of Ottawa’s Central Experimental Farm. He has worked in public history and allied fields for the Canadian federal government and as a public history consultant. As a consultant, his clients have included family historians, academics, and provincial heritage organizations. Pete is a member of the NCPH’s Consultants Committee and can be found on Twitter @dairpo. He occasionally blogs at his personal website, at Active History, and on the blog of the Network in Canadian History and the Environment. - See more at: http://publichistorycommons.org/new-directions-in-active-history/#sthash...

~ Pete Anderson is a PhD candidate in Geography at Queen’s University, Kingston, where he studies the social and environmental history of Ottawa’s Central Experimental Farm. He has worked in public history and allied fields for the Canadian federal government and as a public history consultant. As a consultant, his clients have included family historians, academics, and provincial heritage organizations. Pete is a member of the NCPH’s Consultants Committee and can be found on Twitter @dairpo. He occasionally blogs at his personal website, at Active History, and on the blog of the Network in Canadian History and the Environment. - See more at: http://publichistorycommons.org/new-directions-in-active-history/#sthash.OLNtn1uT.dpuf