Jill Freidberg

I work at the intersection of community memory and public art, as an oral historian and/or educator, on projects that include the Seattle Black Spatial Histories Institute and the Shelf Life Community Story Project
Wa Na Wari
https://www.jillfreidberg.com/
Jill Freidberg is a Seattle-based oral historian, documentary filmmaker, sound artist, and educator. Her work reflects her belief that responsible storytelling can build understanding and solidarity across borders and across the street. Freidberg's current projects include Wa Na Wari, a center for Black art and stories, in Seattle's Central District, where she co-directs the Seattle Black Spatial Histories Institute; and the Shelf Life Community Story project, an oral history collective that uses public art, podcasts, and community gatherings to interrupt the narratives of erasure that accompany gentrification and displacement. Freidberg is also the Digital Media Editor for History Link, an online encyclopedia of Washington State History.

Experience

I have been recording and editing non-fiction stories since 1995, and have been a practicing oral historian since 2010. I teach undergraduate oral history, audio storytelling, and documentary filmmaking at University of Washington. I have co-directed the Seattle Black Spatial Histories Institute since 2021, which involves curriculum development, project planning, fundraising, and instruction in research and interviewing. I have a Certificate of Excellence in Film Production from the Vancouver Film School (1995) and a BA in Anthropology from the University of Oregon (1990).

Services

Skills that I have and also teach:Audio production and editing (Audition or Hindenburg)Story editing Oral History project planningConducting oral histories (research, pre-interviews, interviewing, transcription, preservation)Archival researchContributions I could make to collaborations:Background in public art and sound artResearch skillsStory editing

Languages

Regions Available for Work

Other Regions: Washington state|| Oregon|| British Columbia|| Mexico City|| Oaxaca|| and Remote/Virtual

Specialty

My areas of expertise are in planning community-based oral history projects, conducting interviews, teaching others the techniques and best practices of oral history, and activating oral histories through public art. My current projects focus primarily on oral histories in Seattle's historically redlined Central District, using community stories to interrupt the narratives of erasure that accompany gentrification and displacement. I co-direct the Seattle Black Spatial Histories Institute, a paid, two-year program that trains community cohorts how to conduct and activate oral history research in their neighborhoods. I am also an experienced transcriptionist guided by the belief that the transcript is more than just a written version of an interview; it is a living document and critical part of the historical record. I also have extensive experience in archival research in public and private archives, in the US and abroad.

Subject Areas

    • Local/Regional Histories:
    • History of Seattle's historically redlined Central District, oral histories of the Salish Sea (scientists, fisheries, tribal), community organizers in Seattle

    Purpose of Contact

    • I am available for hire - as an oral historian, consultant, presenter, educator, or related services
    • I am available to collaborate - on research, community projects, artistic endeavors, or other joint undertakings with peers
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