Welcome to Oral History Research and Training Consultancy

Headed by Dr Sue Morrison, this unique consultancy provides a range of professional oral history training, oral history research and project management, documentary research and filming services across Scotland. We pride ourselves on the quality of our work and endeavour to create a rewarding experience for our clients, who include volunteers, schools and youth groups, local history and community organisations, museums and archives, and large, medium and small businesses, organisations and service providers. Current and recent commissions include:

• Delivering oral history training to students, volunteers and project staff.
• Providing project management advice and support to a large number of local history and voluntary organisations.
• Advising and supporting heritage projects to produce quality outputs.
• Delivering oral history training to staff working in museums and archives.
• Working with schools, training students in oral history research and interview skills.
• Film making - both heritage and contemporary topic films.
• Research and writing for creative projects, including films, songwriting and theatre performances.
• Training groups of families and friends and advising them how to create their own family archive.
• Researching business and industry histories for clients wishing to create or update company web pages, or to produce publications to celebrate anniversaries or milestones.
• Conducting documentary and qualitative research to evaluate service provision.
• Producing research-based reports on behalf of health- and recidivism-related organisations.

Sue often works with trusted freelance associates to produce a range of creative outputs incorporating documentary research and oral history testimonies. Most recently, these have included wonderful websites, films, memoryscapes, publications, heritage trails booklets and films, photographic galleries, static and mobile exhibitions, stage performances, songs and original artwork.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp92ajR0gKXeOzKiYWn42xw

About Sue

Sue is a professional historian with a varied background which includes academic research and teaching, project and business management, and community volunteering. She holds higher education degree qualifications in history at BA (hons), M.Phil., and PhD levels, and she was awarded the higher education teaching certificate.

Her skills, dedication and work ethic have been publicly recognised with the presentation of numerous academic and community awards. Sue is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Research Associate at the Scottish Oral History Centre, University of Strathclyde. Sue has been a committed community and heritage volunteer for many years and is the former treasurer of Scottish Labour History Society, which promotes research exploring the history of work, workers and the workplace. She was also a Trustee and Vice Chair with Voluntary Action East Renfrewshire. Sue was presented with South Lanarkshire Council’s Provost’s Community Service Award for ‘Outstanding Service to the Community’ in recognition of her voluntary community work with a number of organisations, groups and education panels. A well-respected teacher, mentor, researcher, and an ardent supporter of oral history research, Sue devotes much of her time and energy towards supporting and actively promoting the preservation of our social and cultural heritage, our life experiences and personal stories.

Sue's Own Research

Sue's chief interests are: oral history; social history; community/local history; business and industrial histories; labour studies; migrant history; occupational health; silicosis; health and wellbeing; mental health; recidivism and addiction.

Her main academic research explores the history of work and health, with a particular focus on silicosis, an occupational lung disease caused by the inhalation of silica dust. Her in-depth research suggests that the disease remains widespread amongst industrial workers, though it is often misdiagnosed as other illnesses or conditions, such as COPD.  

Migrant studies are also important to Sue and she has worked with several BAME and migrant communities to explore their experiences of living in Scotland. She has presented several lectures based on the oral history of migrants, including one to the Glasgow City Heritage Trust, and another, as keynote speaker, at the annual conference of the International Association of Labour History Institutions (IAHLI). Sue has written and produced several migrant based films and texts.  

Considering a project of your own?

We accept commissions to work throughout the UK.  Contact us to discuss how we might assist you.

 

Oral History Research & Training Consultancy