Ideas for AFS Session on HP from Section?

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Gregory Hansen

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Mar 18, 2024, 11:09:53 AM3/18/24

to Laurie Sommers, hp_folk

Springtime, Greetings.

It was good to see Laurie’s post this morning. It sparked me to think about what we might present at AFS. If people are interested in attending, the theme may be workable within HP. It’s “Crossing the Global Storm: Networks, Solidarities, and Communities in Struggle.” There is a range of options to address the theme. I’m thinking that something from our section that explores connections between historic preservation, intangible cultural heritage (ICH), and support for communities could work. It’d be valuable to see how we can connect these themes to various approaches using within public folklore.

The conference organizers want us to move away from the more conventional style of giving papers. I’ve done some diamond presentations at past events. With this approach, each presenter comes up with 21 slides and then provides 20 seconds of commentary for each slide. Each presenter individual session goes less than 9 minutes. The idea is to give an overview of key themes and then spark some discussion.

I recently co-edited a volume on sustaining support for ICH, and I could do a diamond session that is derived from a photo essay in the book. I looked at a partnership between a public radio station, historic theatre, and other community resource people to support series of music that opens the venue for bluegrass bands. The element of struggle, here, isn’t so much the bluegrass music scene. Rather, the struggle is more connected to a range of stressed on a small community. One result is abandoned and dilapidated buildings. In some of the towns in our region, these buildings have literally fallen down in the street.

I’m thinking that we could show a range of ways to address these kinds of connections between HP and ICH through public presentations and perhaps policy. When I was working to advocated for the ill-fated Property Maintenance Code in Jonesboro, I had the chance to meet some people involved with public health. They noted how we writing on the social determinants of health are very much connected to our built environment. I also like some of the ideas the move HP beyond older approaches that involve listing and commemoration into other forms of support, including zoning and policy. If some of us are working on these kinds of issues, I think we could come up with a good session.