The LGBTQ Oral History Digital Collaboratory (University of Toronto, ON) and The ArQuives: Canada’s LGBTQ2+ Archive (located in Toronto, ON) seeks a project oral historian (part-time, limited-term). The project focuses on the history of the Pussy Palace police raid (2000), Canada’s last major police bathhouse raid.
This project will include 30-35 video oral history interviews with those who attended the event and those involved with the police action, the legal case, and related activism. The interviews will serve as baseline documentation and will be available for researchers at The ArQuives in the future. The project is part of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grant awarded to Prof. Elspeth Brown, University of Toronto, and will have undergone an ethics review. Given COVID and social distancing, all interviews will be conducted remotely via Zoom.
Responsibilities: The Project Oral Historian will be responsible for researching and reading the existing literature on the raid; drafting an interview guide and consent forms; finding people to interview (narrators) about the event; conducting and recording interviews; working with narrators to approve the interview; managing the digital files; summarizing the interviews; writing social media and blog posts about the project; developing a spreadsheet with crucial information about all the interviews; contributing to a digital exhibition; and programming one online public event in Spring 2021.
The ArQuives acknowledges and is committed to addressing historical inequities within our organization. We encourage applications from marginalized communities, including those who identify as Indigenous, women, trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming, Black, people of colour, and persons with disabilities.
Qualifications: •Extensive demonstrated experience in qualitative interviewing drawn from oral history, public humanities, qualitative social sciences, journalism, or other areas. •Demonstrated familiarity with LGBQT2+ history and culture, preferably in Ontario. •Minimum BA degree (MA preferred) with a specialization or interest in oral history and/or qualitative research methods. •Excellent communication skills, including writing and editing. •Demonstrated organizational and project management skills. •Strong proficiency with computer desktop applications required (Word, Excel, Adobe Acrobat). •Audio and video production and editing skills are desirable. •Commitment to anti-racism, decolonial practice, and gender-diverse inclusivity. •Is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
Hours & Salary: $28/hr, including benefits, for a total of 300 hours ($8400) for a contract of 12-15 hrs/week over 4.5 to 5.5 months; specific hours and the start of the contract, to be negotiated. Preference is for a start date of 4 January 2021.
To Apply: Please send a cover letter, a resume or c.v., and three references to the attention of ‘Oral Historian Search Committee’ to jobposting@arquives.ca by the deadline of November 20, 2020.