History Week 2023
2 – 10 September 2023 | #HistoryWeek2023
Theme:
Voices from the Past
History is often about giving a voice to people and events from the past, or about listening for voices in the historical record and amplifying the voices of storytellers. At the current moment, a Voice for First Nations peoples is front and centre for all Australians in a referendum.
The History Week theme for 2023, Voices from the Past, is an opportunity to engage with the histories of those who were often voiceless in the past such as women, migrants, workers, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Sometimes these voices were once heard but now sit forgotten in archives. At other times they have been ignored or all but erased.
This History Week in September 2023 the History Council of NSW invites members to consider how we have – or haven’t – listened to voices from the past.
*ARTWORK CREDIT: Studio Gilay: Creative Director: Jake Duczynski; Design/Illustration: Jonathon Saunders & Zoe Velonas
Registrations for History Week have now closed
(Monday 14 August @ 5pm!)
Registered History Week events will appear in the Events Calendar (button below) on our website. Events will be incrementally uploaded.
Follow us on Social Media to see your events promoted!
Tag us in your event promotions too, for a bigger audience.
What type of events can be staged in History Week 2023?
History doesn’t only happen in archives, libraries and books. Very often we need to go out in the field and get hands-on to connect with different sources, stories and audiences.
History Week 2023. ONLINE/IN-PERSON:
Members are invited to stage online or in-person events. As we have seen over the last few years, our members embraced online event production and have also been staging in-person events, as health authorities have advised, in many cases increasing their audiences way beyond their expectations. If you want further information about how you can stage your event online, please visit our History Week Online page which provides a wealth of information.
For all inquiries about History Week 2023, please contact programs@historycouncilnsw.org.au
What is History Week?
History Week is the annual, state-wide celebration of History organised by the History Council of New South Wales.
What happens in History Week?
Members apply through the HCNSW to host History events relating to the annual theme. Previous events have included talks and lectures, ‘behind the scenes tours’ and heritage trails, exhibitions and radio features, film festivals, open historic houses and gardens, book sales and launches. Overall, there will be close to 100 events being staged throughout NSW in History Week 2023.
Key dates and events:
- History Week will commence on Saturday 2 September and finish on Sunday 10 September
- The Annual History Lecture will be staged on Tuesday, 5 September
- The NSW Premier’s History Awards (an event run in partnership with the State Library of NSW) will be staged on Thursday, 7 September.
Further details about event registrations will be found on our Events Calendar as they come to hand.
How can members be involved in History Week 2023?
You and your organisation can take advantage of the week and promote your organisation by hosting an event that you create, by hosting a History speaker through our Speaker Connect program and/or attending the NSW Premier’s History Awards at the State Library of NSW and the History Council’s Annual History Lecture. Your event will form part of the HCNSW’s media campaign and be promoted in the History Week 2023 Program Event Calendar on our website. If you record your event, we will also feature it on our YouTube channel.
Online solutions for events
There is no one type of mode that will suit all History Week events, but here are a few suggestions. They can be online or in-person, depending on your choice. We are happy to discuss options with you and provide information to help you achieve your goals if you contact us.
- In-person presentations or webinars of presentations via Zoom by or with local historians and/or those supplied to you through our Speaker Connect Program (1 hour suggested duration)
- Recordings of performers that can then be streamed from your website and/or ours
- In-person attendances or videos of exhibitions streamed from your website and/ours
- Webinar discussions with historians in a sister city anywhere else in the world
- Locally produced videos about Museums and their artifacts that tell local history
- Oral Histories, recorded and uploaded to your/our website, along with photographs
History Week events are open to public audiences. However, all organisations or individuals wishing to host a History Week event or take part in the History Week Speaker Connect program must be current members of the History Council of NSW. The History Council relies on the financial support of its members to deliver its annual programs.
Further questions about History Week 2023?
More information is available through our frequently asked questions to the right, or contact us at programs@historycouncilnsw.org.au.
Do I have to be a History Council member to participate?
What makes a successful History Week event?
- relate to or incorporate the History Week annual theme
- select a running time most appropriate for the target audience (for example, many students, full-time workers and young people are unable to attend events scheduled during the day. We advise hosts to consider running an event outside of regular office hours to attract wider audiences)
- select a format most appropriate for the target audience (for example a lecture, exhibition, interactive experience, online/in-person, etc)
- are well and consistently promoted at least one month in advance and across a variety of channels, in addition to the History Council of NSW’s online channels
- have a clear, concise and engaging event description, along with an eye-catching and relevant feature image, which entices audiences to attend
- include clear instructions on how attendees can book or register for the event, whether this be through an online booking system, or via a contact email or phone number.
What is the History Week event registration process?
Do you have a media pack and guide?
We have made a media pack available for our host organisations to assist in publicity. Download our logo, publicity guide and media release template below. Theme-specific artwork has also been added to the page and can be downloaded for the promotion of member events via the buttons above (History Week webpage banner, and social media tiles). HCNSW logo (jpeg 62kb) Publicity guide (pdf 172kb) Please contact us at programs@historycouncilnsw.org.au for assistance.
How does the Speaker Connect program fit into History Week?
History Week is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW
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