Joyce Thierer is very good. I took her class as an undergraduate. Also,
contact Henry Crawford at Museum of Texas Tech. He is another excellent
resource on living history.
>From: Wood-Clark Sarah <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Living History
>Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2007 08:08:54 -0500
>
>Hello, Heidi,
>
>You might contact Ann Birney and Joyce Thierer of Ride Into History
>Cultural and Educational Project, Inc. (RIHCEPI) in Admire, Kansas (620)
>528-3580 or [log in to unmask] They have years of expereince
>providing first person interpretation-based programs to schools, museums
>other cultural groups and would have all kinds of suggestions for you.
>they are a great resource.
>
>Sarah Wood-Clark
>
>On Apr 16, 2007, at 1:55 PM, Heidi Wing wrote:
>
>>Hello,
>>
>>I'm looking for some help and opinions on the topic of Living History, or
>>first
>>person interpretations. Here's some background....
>>
>>Several years ago, we received a sizeable donation to create a Living
>>History
>>program for our museum. The main push of this Living History program was
>>the
>>idea that kids learn better through first person interpretations and/or
>>are more
>>engaged with dramatizations. We have found that this is successful-- in
>>part.
>>
>>One of the results was that a performance piece was created about the
>>Underground Railroad. Actors go out to schools and perform a play about
>>the
>>UGRR and then take questions from the audience. This piece was most
>>successful the first few years of the project. But here we are, several
>>years
>>later, and not as many schools are interested. It is a bit pricey ($600)
>>but not
>>if you consider that 300 kids can see it at once, assembly style. We
>>don't
>>think that it is a grade overlap problem (for example, this year's fifth
>>graders
>>saw the play as third graders).
>>
>>Several of our regular classes that we offer at the museum, including one
>>on
>>the birth of the auto industry in Michigan and one on WWII in Michigan,
>>had
>>been utilizing Living History actors to portray real people to children.
>>Essentially, their field trip would involve "meeting" a person from the
>>past,
>>hearing about their life, and participating in a hands-on activity. So we
>>have
>>used Living History both in the museum, and as an outreach tool.
>>
>>And here are the problems..... Living History is expensive. We have
>>established
>>the habit of paying our performers a sizable fee per event, making it all
>>but
>>impossible for us the clear any profit on the activities (yes we are
>>nonprofit,
>>but as you know, we still have to bring in the money). It is also a
>>matter of
>>staffing. Our education team is not comfortable in first person, but
>>happy in
>>third (and teachers don't seem to mind). Scheduling is difficult when our
>>acting pool is small, and often jumps at any chance to make more money,
>>sometimes leaving us in the lurch.
>>
>>So this is what I'm asking (in a very round about way, my apologies).
>>Does
>>your institution utilize Living History, or first person interpretations?
>>How
>>successful, or unsuccessful, are your programs? What works best? What are
>>the challenges that you run into? Why, or why not, do you use Living
>>History?
>>
>>Again, apologies that this is such a long request... please help!
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Heidi Wing
>>Assistant Curator of Programs
>>Sloan Museum and Longway Planetarium
>>Flint, MI
>>[log in to unmask]
>>
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