Museums and ‘Difficult Pasts’: Northern Ireland’s 1968

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A talk with guest speaker, Associate Professor Chris Reynolds (Nottingham Trent University), about 1960s Ireland, in conjunction with his ‘Voices of 68’ exhibition on portraying events in Ireland during 1968 and as part of the Conflict, Development and Disaster research theme at the School. The exhibition will be housed in the School foyer between 19-26 March.

Abstract

This paper contributes to the debate on the increasingly prominent role of museums in the interpretation of what have become known as ‘difficult histories’. It begins by outlining the impact and legacy of contested history within the context of Northern Ireland before focusing on how and why some museums have come to see their role and purpose, and define their social impact, in relation to the increasingly prevalent practice of confronting uncomfortable heritage. The role of National Museums Northern Ireland and its experiences in interpreting contested history then provides the backdrop for a discussion of its recent collaborative project on the seminal events of 1968. The innovative combination of this venture’s methodological and theoretical approach, it is argued, provides potentially valuable lessons for the broader challenge of dealing with the difficult legacy of Northern Ireland’s past as part of the ongoing peace process and offers a possible blueprint for others to adapt in their efforts to confront their own ‘difficult histories’.

Exhibition

Chris Reynolds’ exhibition portrays events in Ireland in 1968. It will be exhibited in the School of Modern Languages foyer for one week (19-26 March). The exhibition has attracted much interest nationally and is being taken to 20 venues across the UK.

Following an ongoing research project between Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and Ulster Museum, this seminar and accompanying exhibition focuses on significant political and social occurrences in Northern Ireland between 1965 and 1972, and how these events have been portrayed 50 years on.

Biography

Chris Reynolds is Associate Professor of Contemporary French and European Studies at Nottingham Trent University. His main research interests are in relation to the events of 1968 from a French, Northern Irish and European perspective. In addition to a wide range of articles and chapters on these topics, he is the author of Memories of May’68: France’s Convenient Consensus (University of Wales Press 2011) and Sous les pavés…The Troubles: Northern Ireland, France and the European Collective Memory of 1968 (Peter Lang 2015). He is currently leading a significant project with the Ulster Museum on the question of Northern Ireland’s 1968.

Simultaneous Translation

The event will be delivered in the medium of English. You are welcome to ask questions in the medium of Welsh during the QandA session. If you intend to do this, please contact mlang-events@cardiff.ac.uk by Wednesday 6 March to request simultaneous translation. Please note that 10% or more of those planning to attend will need to request this provision in order for it to be sourced and will be subject to resource availability.

Registration

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