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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) – The University of Illinois Springfield’s Sangamon Experience and UIS Performing Arts Center will host “Story Harvest” in late October.
According to the Sangamon Experience, the event will feature workshops exploring how oral histories can preserve memories, uncover overlooked stories and strengthen connections to the past.
The workshops will run from 12:30 to 4:45 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24 on the first floor of the Public Affairs Center at UIS. Anyone is welcome to attend. Registration is encouraged but not required.
“Some of the most meaningful history lives in the memories of our families, neighbors and communities,” said Anne Moseley, director of engagement and curator of the Sangamon Experience. “Story Harvest invites people to learn how to capture those stories and discover the powerful ways oral history can preserve the past and inspire new conversations.”
The first workshop, “Story Harvest: Collecting Oral Histories,” will be held from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. The workshop will be led by Mark DePue, a retired oral historian at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.
The second session, “Story Harvest: From Memory to Meaning,” is a discussion panel and will be from 2:45 to 4:45 p.m. According to the Sangamon Experience, this session will explore how oral history can foster connection, discovery and understanding.
Scott Loyd, oral history manager at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, will moderate the panel. Panelists include Treasure Shields Redmond, executive director of The Community Archive: 1917 East St. Louis Race Massacre Descendants’ Oral Histories Collection; Evie Rodenbaugh, creator of the digital exhibit “Radio That Listens to You: 50 Years of NPR Illinois”; and Tara McAndrew, a local writer, historian and UIS alumna.
For more information about the sessions or to register, visit UIS’s Story Harvest webpage.