The Living History Project Presentation Ceremony
Friday, 14 December 2012
Students from the School of Communications and Arts engaging with the community through the Living History Project
On 26 November, students in biography and autobiography at Edith Cowan University welcomed around twenty-five members of the community, and many carers, family, friends and members of ECU staff, to a special Presentation Ceremony.
Most of the students had spent the semester writing life stories in consultation with their biographical subjects, who included members of the Association for the Blind WA, and residents of Elimatta Nursing Home. The mutual celebration of this significant achievement on the part of students and community members saw an intermingling of ages and diverse backgrounds, as the students presented their finished biographies to subjects who have now become friends. Students commented on the rich and fascinating lives of these men and women, many of whom are in their nineties and have witnessed extraordinary changes in society. From living through the Great Depression, being involved in wars around the world, experiencing affliction through diseases such as polio, and finding love, joy and comfort in family, the created biographies expressed the lives of everyday important members of Western Australian society.
Students were most grateful for the enthusiasm, patience, integrity and support of their biographical subjects. In their turn, the community members expressed their profound gratitude and delight regarding their participation in this project. Facilitated by Associate Professor Jill Durey and Dr Josephine Taylor, the project demonstrates ECU’s continuing commitment to engaging with the wider community.