A diverse group of students completed their training in the accredited skill set- AHCILM404 Record and Document Community History with the CMTO in April, led by experienced trainer Dr Elaine Rabbitt. 

The workshops were held in Sydney and Canberra over two days and participants came from a range of backgrounds with various skill bases and interests.

The first day covered theory including the nature of oral history, ethical storytelling, and interviewing. On the second day participants took part in practical activities to work on their interviewing skills. Participants were then instructed on the use of field recorders and used these to record their interview assessments for the course. 

A highlight of the Sydney course was having a representative from Oral History Australia, the national peak body for oral history, attend the workshop.

“I learnt a lot in a very short stretch of time, can't wait to get started on projects in the second half of the year. It was amazing to learn from such a strong pioneer in the field and who developed and created the course - much respect”.  Oral History Australia Participant

Dr Elaine Rabbitt worked closely with the CMTO to ensure the workshops were well attended and reached people interested in archiving community stories, whether they had worked in community media before or not. This course was funded by the Community Broadcasting Foundation. Documenting oral histories, particularly in the context of community media, is a valuable skill and the CMTO looks forward to providing this learning experience across the country.