Sharing complex oral histories with broad audiences: navigating the opportunities and challenges

Date: Friday, 21st November, 2025.

Time: Symposium starts at 9.45am. AGM starts at 2.30pm

Where: COASIT/Museo Italiano, 199 Faraday Street, Carlton.

Tickets: $10-45.

This Symposium brings together a dynamic panel of speakers talking about how they’ve presented complex oral histories in radio podcasts and programs, digital web-based histories, exhibitions and public installations.

Chaired by award-winning historian and radio producer Dr Geraldine Fela, the Symposium will explore the elements of historical storytelling that both challenge and delight us when we share complex narratives with broad audiences.

Session One will feature a panel discussion with:

•  Sophie Couchman - Professional Historian, Curator and President of the Professional Historians Association (Vic and Tas).

• Alice Garner - Historian, actor, musician, and audio maker.

• Alexandra Pierce - Former history teacher, podcaster and editor.

• Kerrie Poliness - President, Living Museum of the West.

• Michelle Raynor - Editor of ABC Radio National’s History Unit and award-winning producer of history documentaries.

Session Two will feature:

OHV members delivering lightning presentations about their experiences navigating the task of presenting oral histories to public audiences, with an opportunity for broad discussion and input from our panellists.

The Final Session:

Will be run in breakout spaces (in-person and online) allowing participants to workshop questions and ideas in smaller groups.

AGM

The Symposium will be followed by the OHV 2025 AGM (also hybrid) and we encourage all members present to stay and participate or to join us online if you can’t be there in person. he AGM will start at 2.30pm.

* If you are also attending the AGM please let us know by checking the free AGM ticket option.

* OHV members are welcome to attend the AGM only and there is a free ticket option in the Humanitix event listing. If you are just attending the AGM, the free ticket does not include the catered lunch. T

Hybrid ticket: this is also a hybrid event, providing the option for audiences unable to be with us physically on the day to participate.

Please note:

• Ticket prices for in-person event include catering.

• Bookings close 17 November for catering purposes.

Presenter bios:

Geraldine Fela: is an award-winning historian and Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of History and Archaeology at Macquarie University. Her research traverses histories of gender and sexuality, labour, social movements and medicine. She was recently awarded the 2025 Prime Ministers Literary Award for her book ‘Critical Care: Nurses on the Frontline of Australia’s AIDS Crisis’ (UNSW Press, 2024). She has also worked as a Features Producer for the ABC, where her historical research into the 1998 Waterfront Dispute underpinned the 2025 Rewind series Conspiracy? War on the Waterfront.

Sophie Couchman: is a professional historian and curator and current President of the Professional Historians Association (Vic & Tas). She has over 20 years' experience working with Chinese Australian communities to tell their histories in diverse ways. Her extensive oral history output includes exhibition, audio storytelling and podcast works. 

Alice Garner: is an experienced oral historian who records interviews for the National Library of Australia. Alice is also a published author, musician, performer and audio documentary producer, interested in creative uses of oral history. She was recently awarded the Jane Hansen Award for History Advocacy by the History Council of Victoria.

Alexandra Pierce: is a former secondary history teacher, podcaster and editor who splits her time between history and science fiction related projects. Alex's 15-episode podcast Women, Conscription, War won the Oral History Category of the 2024 Victorian Community History Awards. 

Kerrie Poliness: is President of the Melbourne’s Living Museum of the West, home to over 700 oral histories. Kerrie has extensive experience working collaboratively with communities and artists to bring stories to life in creative formats involving exhibition, art, theatre and embedded experience.

Michelle Rayner: is editor of the ABC Radio National History Unit which produces the narrative history series Rewind. In 2025 Michelle was awarded an Australian Historical Association Lifetime Achievement Award for her significant and innovative contributions to history through the production of history documentaries for radio and her ongoing advocacy for public history radio programming, particularly in the field of oral history.