Archives Taster Session with Cathy Hirst

Learn about archival practices, the power involved in archiving and how to ask the right questions for your research!
About this Event

This introductory archive session with Manchester Cathedral’s Research and Editorial Officer, Cathy Hirst, will be divided into two parts. The first part of the session will address the theory behind archiving, focusing on how archives wield power over collective memory and the history of individuals. Moving on to discuss how an institution decides what is, or isn’t archived. We will then look at how to effectively interact with an archive; how to ask the right questions for your research and what alternatives to look at when faced with collection gaps, and/or silences.

The second part of the session will concern the Manchester Cathedral archives specifically. Cathy will provide an overview of the collection – addressing broad themes and categories, before showcasing some of our most significant items. At the end of the session, participants will have a basic understanding of how archiving works, how to effectively begin archival research, and a foundational understanding of the Manchester Cathedral archive collection.

This is a free event but booking is necessary through Eventbrite.

This event is part of The Sun Inn Poets project. To find out more follow our Instagram @thesuninnpoets.

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