Sign-up to participate in Ridgefield’s Oral History Project.
Ridgefield’s Oral History Project – Share your LGBTQIA+ story for posterity 🙂
Ridgefield CT Pride is partnering with the Ridgefield Historical Society and student volunteers from Ridgefield High School to diversify the Ridgefield Historical Society’s oral history collection. This exciting Oral History Project will document the personal stories of Ridgefield’s Queer community.
Under the guidance of nationally renowned LGBTQIA+ historian Susan Ferentinos PhD, students will be taught oral history best practices and they will record interviews with Ridgefield LGBTQIA+ residents. The interviews will be professionally transcribed and cataloged in the Ridgefield Historical Society’s online archive and in the Connecticut Digital Archive.
The goals of this project are to record, preserve, and share Ridgefield LGBTQIA+ stories, which are underrepresented in the Ridgefield Historical Society’s collection; to foster intergenerational conversation; and increase civic pride and awareness.
“We’re thrilled that CT Humanities awarded us this grant to support our innovative oral history project and celebrate our community’s diverse history”, said Stephen Bartkus, Executive Director of the Ridgefield Historical Society. “This project will document the untold stories of LGBTQIA+ residents in Ridgefield, a significant step towards filling a gap in our historical record while encouraging intergenerational connections within our community.