The Oral History Centre hosted faculty, students, and the community for an international workshop on oral history from 1–3 October 2015. The interdisciplinary workshop focused on the principles and practices in oral history, from theoretical concerns to research methods. Ethical questions related to interviewing and accessibility and archiving of those interviews were a central focus of discussions.

Alessandro Portelli, Professor of American Literature at the University of Rome, opened the workshop on the evening of Thursday, 1 October, with a keynote address on studies of memory and oral history in contemporary society. Professor Portelli is acknowledged internationally as the most influential oral historian of the last quarter century.

Friday, October 2 and Saturday, October 3 featured panels of OHC associate faculty members, Alexander Freund, Nolan Reilly, and Janis Thiessen, and other UW faculty and students from a wide variety of disciplines. They were joined in these sessions by prominent Canadian researchers, including Professor Joy Parr, University of Western Ontario, Professor Pam Sugiman, Ryerson University, Professor Kristina Llewellyn, University of Waterloo, Travis Tomchuk, Canadian Museum for Human Rights, and Caroline Forcier-Holloway, Library and Archives Canada.

The International Workshop on Oral History is generously sponsored by the H. Sanford Riley Fellowship in Canadian History and the Oral History Centre.

The Riley Fellowship in Canadian History promotes the study and dissemination of Canadian history. This fellowship is awarded annually to a scholar or scholars of Canadian history interested in pursuing and sharing their interest in the study of Canada with the faculty and students at the University of Winnipeg and interested members of the community. The Department of History, University of Winnipeg is responsible for selection of the Riley Fellows and the administration of the programme.

Funding for the Riley Fellowship in Canadian History is made possible through a generous endowment from Sandy Riley of Winnipeg who is an enthusiastic student of the history of Canada. He is a former Chancellor of the University of Winnipeg and a vigorous supporter of Canada’s National History Society.