Liverpool to host conference on public history

Liverpool will host a major international conference on public history that will examine areas such as how museums shape our sense of identity and our emotional responses to subjects such as the slave trade.

The conference, organised by the University of Liverpool, will examine the role of public history in art, archaeology, film and sport. Speakers will include former Minister for Welfare Reform, Frank Field MP, Sandy Nairne, Director of the National Portrait Gallery and Lonnie Bunch, Director of the National Museum of African American History in the US.

The role of museums in constructing and reinforcing collective identities will also be debated – with particular focus on the interpretation of slavery in museums in the UK, the US and Jamaica and the ways museums select and manage their collections in order to shape the emotions of their audiences.

Dr Holger Hoock, from the University’s School of History, said: “Museums and heritage organisations are significant cultural forces reaching mass audiences on an intellectual and emotional level, and thus shape the general public’s views about history. This conference will put local experience and innovation into an international context and bring global excellence in museums and public history to Liverpool.”

“It’s a compelling place for an international conference on public history. We’re now celebrating the city’s year as European Capital of Culture, having marked the 800th anniversary of its charter and the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade in 2007. The new International Slavery Museum and the Museum of Liverpool will provide great opportunities for public engagement with the city’s history.”

He added: “We’re very keen for members of the public to play a full part in the conference – the public response to history is very much at the heart of this event.”

The multi-disciplinary conference, organised jointly with National Museums Liverpool, and the Institute of Historical Research at the School of Advanced Study, University of London, will involve both local and international speakers, including museum directors, historians and archaeologists.

The conference will be held at Merseyside Maritime Museum from Thursday, 10 April to Saturday, 12 April 2008. Entry costs £80 but tickets are half-price for those with a Liverpool postcode. Call 0207 862 8756 or email to register.