Documenting Everyday Life
The Vermont Folklife Center’s work is guided by this central question: How can I/we understand experience from the point of view of the person or group to whom that experience belongs?
This 2-day, in person workshop will present the foundations of our particular skill set and approach, what we refer to as the “ethnographic toolkit.” Capturing the scope of everyday life through deep listening and description is a part of how ethnography builds context. These tools can be used by anyone looking to engage with a community or group of people to reach a deeper understanding about how we live and live together.
As a group, we will:
Explore strategies for community-based learning and inquiry that center on collaborative and ethical engagement
Learn from ethnographers who have adapted this framework in their projects
Conduct mini-fieldwork trips and participant observation; write field notes from several ‘scales of attention’ (self, neighborhood, community)
Gain basic experience with digital media making, with a critical lens on documentary work and the ethics of representation
This workshop will leave participants with a deeper understanding of the ethics of representation in all public work on Vermont community life and cultures. Space and time will be provided to work individually and as a cohort to apply the ethnographic toolkit within your own community projects, research, media-making endeavors, classroom plans, or areas of interest.
Schedule
In-Person Wednesday July 6 and Thursday July 7, 2022, 10:00 am - 4:30 pm plus an evening event on July 6.
Location
118 Elliot is a gallery and multipurpose space for the arts, education, and personal events in the heart of Brattleboro, Vermont.
Tuition and Graduate Credit:
Course fees are on a sliding scale ranging between $275 - $525. There is the option to take this course for 1-graduate credit for an additional $125. Financial Aid is available (email education@vermontfolklifecenter.org for more information)
Cancellation Policy
No refunds after June 22, 2022. Written cancellation notice (email or snail mail) must be received by that date for a refund minus a $25 administrative fee.