In this blog post Ruth Slatter (IHR) and Kathy Davies (History Lab Plus) reflect on the IHR, Centre for the History of People, Place and Community, and History Lab Plus Place-Based Histories: interdisciplinary ECR workshop held in Sheffield on 5 September 2024.
On 5 September 2024, 30 ECRs from the arts, humanities, and social sciences attended the ‘Place-Based Histories: interdisciplinary ECR workshop’ . The workshop was organized by the IHR, the Centre for the History of People, Place and Community and History Lab Plus and hosted by CRESR at Sheffield Hallam University. Designed to support ECRs from all disciplines who are integrating place-based histories within their research, or want to do so, this fully-booked event appears to have chimed with the needs and interests of many and sparked calls for similar events to be organized in the future.
The day opened with a panel of three speakers sharing their experiences of contributing to interdisciplinary research projects which include elements of place-based research. Firstly, Ed Brookes discussed Risky Cities (University of Hull) and its use of historical research and creative methods to engage Hull’s residents in conversations about flood risks and climate change. He reflected on how the project adopted and adapted the concept of ‘Learning Histories’ to reflect on how to effectively draw communities into creative interactions with historical research to provoke reflections on future practices and priorities.
Next, John Jenkins reflected on Street Life (University of York) and the role that place-based histories played alongside researchers in the University of York’s English and Music departments and creative practitioners. He explained how this seven-month project was a whirlwind of activity, which aimed to explore the histories of York’s Coney Street and contribute to broader conversations about the future of high streets. This led him to highlight the challenges of government-funded, time-limited projects that are intended to contribute to broader policy developments, in this case ‘levelling up’.
Kathy Davies closed the morning session by discussing the JustHeat project, (Sheffield Hallam, University of Leeds, and Birmingham City in collaboration with universities in Finland, Sweden, and Romania). Exploring historic energy transitions to understand current challenges in energy policy and inform net-zero initiatives, Kathy’s contribution to this project focuses on undertaking oral histories to understand the individual lived experiences of the national shift from coal to gas heating in British homes during the second half of the twentieth century. Sharing audio snippets from the personal memories captured during the project, Kathy’s talk effectively demonstrated how the history of heat is the history of home, family, and community, and is fundamentally shaped by place.
Collectively these papers highlighted the value of place-based historical research within interdisciplinary projects, particularly how it can position recent developments within their historical context and highlight how recent practices are not the only solution to current problems. In their feedback, workshop attendees highlighted how they particularly valued the way in which each speaker critically reflected on their project and thus provided practical suggestions for how the problems or limitations they experienced could be better negotiated by others.
After lunch Rachel Delman (University of Oxford Heritage Partnerships Coordinator) and Ruth Slatter ran a practical session, challenging attendees to reflect on the key issues and factors that researchers need to think about when engaging in research beyond or in collaboration with those outside the academy. Small group discussions highlighted the importance of considering the (potentially conflicting) needs of all researchers, partners, and stakeholders; identifying and effectively developing relationships with appropriate partners and stakeholders; engaging in appropriate ethical assessments (particularly around consent); and choosing the most appropriate methods for engaging in this research. In the workshop’s feedback, attendees noted how they valued this practical element of the workshop as it ‘demystified’ some of the processes of community research and gave them an opportunity to apply some of what they had learnt in the morning session.
The day was wrapped up with a round table discussion including all of the workshop’s speakers and presenters. Michael Howcroft (University of Glasgow), representing the AHRC’s Place Programme, kicked the session off with some reflections on ‘where next’ for place-based research. He discussed how the AHRC Place Programme is now emphasizing the importance of people-centered placed-based research and advocating policy making which is no longer ‘place-blind’ but attentive to place and its specific meanings for individuals and communities. Building on these reflections, the roundtable discussion engaged with topics including: interdisciplinarity, precarity, funding, and the practicalities of building partnerships and doing place-based research from outside of the structures of academia. In the workshop feedback, attendees highlighted this as one of the most valuable parts of the day, one commenting that it was ‘fantastic to hear about work fairly removed from my own in time and place, but with approaches and insights that were hugely inspiring and intellectually stimulating.’
Feedback from the workshop has also more generally emphasized two things. Firstly it has highlighted how attendees would be keen for more workshops of this kind in the future. In particular, one specifically suggested an event entirely focused on the ‘practical details of how people fostered relationships with partners [and] community organizations.’ Secondly, it stressed the importance and value of events to support and encourage ECRs. Many of those attending the workshop are precariously employed on short-term and limited-hour contracts. While the event could do little to practically change this situation, it did provide opportunities to network with others in similar situations, a much needed opportunity for fun, and encouragement about the possibilities of engaging in historical research beyond the academy.
Dr Ruth Slatter is Lecturer in Historic Environment and Knowledge Exchange Manager at the Institute of Historical Research. Dr Kathy Davies is Postdoctoral Researcher in the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University and co-Chair of History Lab Plus, the national network for early career historical researchers.