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Challenging History conference
Challenging History is a network for people working with difficult, challenging or contested histories in museums and heritage sites. Its latest conference was held betweeen City University, London and the Tower of London at the end of February 2012.
The Sharing European Memories team was invited to give a panel discussion at the conference. The project brings together partners from Spain, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Italy and the UK with the aim of creating a methodology that will help history teachers bring historical memory into the classroom. The Royal Armouries Museum hosts the UK side of the project, which Emma co-manages together with oral historian Tracy Craggs.
Our panel discussed the approach we're taking to the methodology and the challenges we've encountered along the way: how to take a difficult concept and make it work in the classroom; how to address long-held myths about key aspects of our respective national histories; and how to make a six-way European partnership work effectively (I blogged about that last question a few months ago). I'm hoping conference papers will be released soon - there were some fascinating and provocative discussions. There is also a Challenging History jiscmail list, through which I hope the conversations will continue.