2. Decide the method(s)
Decide on a method or methods.
Start with the skills you or your friends have.
You could create a photo essay, make a short film, interview people for an oral history project, build a map etc...
Maybe the content already exists and just needs to be collected. Physical stuff like posters, flyers, stickers etc. Digital stuff like photos, videos, social media posts etc. Or formal stuff like minutes, correspondence, notes etc...
Maybe it doesn’t exist yet, but you want people to collaborate, so you put a call out for creative writing or imagery in response to a certain topic or theme and collate it into a zine or exhibition.
Start with the skills you or your friends have.
You could create a photo essay, make a short film, interview people for an oral history project, build a map etc...
Maybe the content already exists and just needs to be collected. Physical stuff like posters, flyers, stickers etc. Digital stuff like photos, videos, social media posts etc. Or formal stuff like minutes, correspondence, notes etc...
Maybe it doesn’t exist yet, but you want people to collaborate, so you put a call out for creative writing or imagery in response to a certain topic or theme and collate it into a zine or exhibition.
Example: Telling Stories through Objects
Ask people in your community to identify an object of personal importance and to share the objects’ stories. Take a photo of the object and record the story of why they chose this object and what it means to them.
Ask people in your community to identify an object of personal importance and to share the objects’ stories. Take a photo of the object and record the story of why they chose this object and what it means to them.
Project 83: Small Things Matter - Te Papa
Project 83 enlisted Tongan students of Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate in Otara to collect objects that represent their lives. The class collected their most treasured objects including an original song composition, class photographs and a Toby’s Seafood uniform. Each object was accompanied by a written description in Tongan and English demonstrating that objects can act as a vessel for personal stories and a community’s language. Check it out here
Elisapeta Fononga, Toby’s Seafood Uniform – Teunga Ngaue. Photograph by Amanda Rogers. Te Papa
Trans Past, Trans Present: The Making Trans Histories Project - Te Papa
Trans people from their teens to their 70s were asked to identify objects of personal importance and write up that object’s story. This project recognised the power of objects to bring history to life and the importance of trans people narrating their own stories. Items included a letter, dress, and the contents of a handbag. Check it out here
Contents of makeup bag, 2019. Photo by Te Papa