Lecture by Prof. Olwen Purdue, Queen’s University Belfast. Hybrid event.
Taking the post-conflict context of Northern Ireland as a case study, this lecture will explore some of the challenges of engaging in Public History in a region where the prevailing historical narratives are contested at the most basic level. It will ask to what extent the public use of history plays a part in reinforcing divisions and continuing senses of ‘otherness’. However, it will also look at the important role public history can play in such contexts either as a form of conflict transformation, disrupting dominant narratives and opening up space for dialogue, or as a means of promoting wellbeing and increased senses of belonging among divided and often disadvantaged urban communities.