Learning  Trauma Informed, African Heritage Archival Practices 

Decolonising the Archive (DTA) have created a bespoke version of their course Correcting Our Collecting: An Introduction to African-Centred Archiving, to deliver in collaboration with Synergi. This version of the course will be free for participants and is specifically for BPOC with lived experience of mental ill-health, distress and/or trauma – in particular,  those who are involved in grassroots organising at the intersection of racial justice and mental health.

The course will address how to archive politically potent material relating to racial justice, mental health and activism in a way that is restorative and centres the archivist’s mental health. Sessions combine presentations, practical activities and discussions. This is an entry-level course suitable for those interested in learning more about what archives are, what they can be, how they are created, how they can be managed, and what we should consider when working with archives within our own communities.

‘Each workshop will introduce you to some basic principles, skills, and ideas we feel are important when thinking about archiving from an African heritage perspective. We feel this perspective is an important approach to how archives are created, curated, and accessed— in order to make sense to us.

We also recognise that there are areas involved in our historical narratives that are sensitive and violent. As such, we recognise that the mental health component to learning will be an active and considered method to be applied to both skills and training.’

There will be 3 online workshops on from 6-8pm on zoom, followed by an all-day in-person workshop at the Brixton House

You can read about the workshop content below.  

Essential information:

Please note, this workshop series is a course, so we ask that you sign up for and attend as many sessions as possible. We will be prioritising those who are available for all/the majority of workshops.

We will also be prioritising those who are part of grassroots organisations working at the intersection of racial justice and mental health. To ensure grassroots organisations can benefit from these workshops as a collective, it does not need to be the same person from your organisation in each session. We also welcome more than one person to join from your organisation the same session/s (if we have enough spaces).

If you are no longer to make the sessions you registered for, please let us know by emailing synergi.info@nsun.org.uk so that someone from the waiting list can take your place. Please ensure you are able to attend the full session/s you are signing up for.

There will be regular breaks throughout. To avoid disruption in the online workshops, we will stop letting people in 10 minutes into the sessions.

Please ensure you have the latest version of Zoom downloaded ahead of time, in case automatic updates start when you log on, which may delay your entry to the session.

To sign up, please fill out the registration form .For any queries, please contact synergi.info@nsun.org.uk

Workshop Content

Workshop 1: Introductions & Foundations with Connie Bell

Archiving is context dependent. It must come from us. What are the values, methods and experiences that need to be reflected in our approach to the archive? This session will explore:

• – Cultural Memory and archives
  • – Decolonisation and Repair for Mental Wellbeing
  • – Values for Restorative Justice frameworks
  • – Documentation and Self Determination
  • – Trauma and the Archive 

Workshop 2: Coming in from the Cold.

Recognising the biases and unhealthy learning Patterns to undermine self-discovery with Prof. Stanley Griffin

Our memory comes in many forms. We need to consider the meaning of particular events in our community and use this understanding to support how we approach preserving and sharing them.

• – Identifying community memory
  • – Undoing unhealthy social patterns that affect community memory
  • – Promoting and Practicing reparative community memory

Workshop 3: Archiving through creative participation and Oral Histories with Mitchell Esaj

Orality is central to African heritage history-making, but the narrow confines of Eurocentric approaches risk the recolonisation of our memory. A decolonial approach to oral archives is necessary.

• – Creative expressions of archiving heritage communities
  • – Oral Histories and the Archive
  • – Practical approaches to creative collections & oral history
  • – Ethics ownership & permissions

Workshop 4: All Day Session for 4hrs in London

First Half: Collecting & Documentation with Etienne Joseph & Connie Bell

Managing archives takes work(!) and is inherently subjective. Whether self-determined or collaborating with an institution, frameworks need to be set up to preserve the integrity of your collection and your vision.

• – The politics of cataloguing
  • – Managing archive collections
  • – Digital archiving
  • – Working with institutions

Second Half: Archiving for Racial Justice and Liberation Practice with Mitchell Esaj from Amsterdam

Physical exercise with Mitchell exploring his documents on racial justice and activism.

Synergi and NSUN’s Conduct Agreement

We want Synergi spaces to be safe, welcoming, and inclusive. Harassment, hate speech, and inappropriate behaviour of any kind, verbal or in the chat/Q&A, will not be tolerated.

We reserve the right to immediately remove any attendee we consider to be in breach of this conduct agreement. This includes anyone making racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, or otherwise discriminatory, offensive, or hateful remarks.

Removed participants will not be able to re-join the session, or, if applicable, join any of the rest of the sessions in a day or series of events. In order to avoid the derailing of sessions we will not enter into conversations around why conduct was deemed inappropriate in the sessions themselves.

Please read the full Online event conduct agreement here

Access

You can find an Easy Read Guide to joining Zoom meetings here.

Zoom closed captions will be available to turn on during the meeting.

We will be asking that attendees keep themselves mute while others are talking to avoid audio distractions.

Please let us know of any access requirements in your sign-up form and we will try to accommodate them as best as we can.

For the in-person workshop, Synergi will cover travel and accomodation expenses for those who need it.with us before the session please email us at synergi.info@nsun.org.uk