Confronting Shadows: Mindful and Ethical Communication of Sensitive Content

Despite the increased importance of public engagement within academia, there is currently little or no training for PhD students in mindful and ethical approaches to the study and communication of materials that could potentially trigger or traumatise an audience or the PhD students themselves. This places PhD students and their audiences in real danger of experiencing avoidable harms. In response to this lack of training, Confronting Shadows: Mindful and Ethical Communication of Sensitive Content is a day-long workshop that will offer PhD students the opportunity to reflect upon their methods of working with sensitive materials and to learn new approaches from other PhD students and a selected group of speakers from inside and outside of academia. The workshop will bring together a cross-institutional, interdisciplinary set of PhD students and encourage discussion through interactive activities. These activities will be complemented by talks given by our specially selected guest speakers who regularly work with, and communicate about sensitive materials and topics.

The invited speakers are Deborah Haase, Tanaka Mhishi, Kate Mollison, and Lisa Williams. Deborah Haase works at The Scottish Jewish Archives Centre in Glasgow and has experience of working with materials from the Holocaust. Tanaka Mhishi is a poet, playwright, teacher and activist whose work deals with masculinity and manhood with a particular emphasis on the experiences of male survivors of rape and sexual harm. Kate Mollison is a Glasgow based psychotherapist and counsellor with a wealth of experience working with people affected by traumatic experiences. Lisa Williams is the Director of the Edinburgh Caribbean Association and spends much of her time educating others about Scotland's involvement in transatlantic slavery. She runs regular black history walking tours of Edinburgh, and has also participated in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the Black History Month.

The location of the workshop – St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art in Glasgow – will also offer the opportunity to consider the mindful and ethical approach to, and presentation of, sensitive materials. St Mungo is dedicated to the promotion of religious understanding and inclusivity through interpreting religious and sensitive materials, and attendees will have the opportunity to look around St Mungo's excellent collection throughout the day.

The workshop will aim to result in two outcomes. The first will be to help PhD students learn new mindful and ethical approaches to researching and presenting sensitive materials and to become more confident in that research and presentation. The second is to form a peer-network to provide additional long-term support and discussion for attendees who would like to continue the conversation.

Lunch will be provided and there will be tea and coffee available throughout the day.

Travel expenses are reimbursable.

*Please note that part of the workshop will consist of discussing and handling objects and materials with sensitive content*

Registration Information

This event is free and open to all PhD students at SGSAH Higher Education Institutions. However, the number of places is limited. If you would like to attend the event, please express your interest by registering and answering a couple of questions about your research and what you hope to gain from attending.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS 31st OCTOBER 2019

Please note that registration does not automatically secure your place at the event.

We will inform you whether your application was successful by 11th November 2019.

If you have any questions, please email confrontingshadows@gmail.com