Gatherings Oral Consent Procedures
Updated 16 November 2020
At the bottom of this page, you will find a link to a full 'how to' procedures document finalized on 21 July 2020. This is a useful document, that you can download and review, and that we hope will help you as you plan for any individual or group interviews for Gatherings, or for your own research. It was created after thorough consultation with members of Gatherings, and by Gatherings Co-Investigators with various university and government offices and advocacy groups, and has been vetted by the University of Toronto's Ethics Review Board. We think it is equitable, thorough, and pays attention to the sensitive issue of ownership in the conducting of any interview. We encourage you to review it, use it, and tell us where it needs to be improved--this last in particular. We also encourage you to examine the process we took to arrive at this document, in the texts available in our Gatherings Archive.
All that said, the document is lengthy, and with the pandemic continuing, we all need some help moving from preparation to action. In brief, then, as you prepare to interview, by Zoom or its equivalent, or by phone, here are the procedures and permissions you will need. The full text supports this summary. If you have any questions, the person to contact is the PI (Principal Investigator) for the Gatherings Project, Stephen Johnson, at sjohnson.research@gmail.com
1. There is a form on another page that helps you to plan for, and to apply for, an honorarium for the person/people you are interviewing. This is primarily restricted to the work of Co-Investigators, but do not assume that you are ineligible if you are not a Co-Investigator. It pays to ask.
2. Much of the material related to the interview process is about ownership and permission. The fact that we are limited to online and distanced contact with interviewees limits--and simplifies--how we deal with these important agreements. Briefly, we can interview people by doing the following:
3. In email or phone exchanges with your interviewee(s), ask that they review the page on our website that outlines our standard information and intentions with respect to interviews. It isn't long, it is accessible, and should be agreeable to most people. You can ask in advance if they have any questions, and address those, if possible. If there are any questions that you cannot answer, ask the PI to become involved in the exchange. The link to the text the prospective interviewee should read is here:
https://gatheringspartnership.com/public-documents
4. Plan for your interview, and begin the conversation. At the outset of the interview, remind the interviewee of the basic statements they were provided, and in particular the 'Statement on Consent' on the Public Documents site listed above. You can read this brief aloud, or (better) paraphrase it. Please bear in mind the following statement from the University of Toronto: "Consent should always be in language that is understandable..., and the consent process should make room for questions, as appropriate to the research context." See the full document on Consent for further instructions. Keep it simple, straightforward, and positive. The times demand it. Ask if there are any further questions, and seek their agreement. Consent can be oral, and should be preserved in the recording. Tell the interviewee(s) that they are being recorded. Once the interview is completed, thank the interviewee, and say that you are stopping the recording, and will maintain contact to provide a copy of the recording.
5. Gatherings has some provision to help you prepare your recorded interview--whether video or sound--for use by others. But bear in mind that we have our limits. We cannot provide a pristine transcript, but we can help to provide a rough transcript. Using MS Streams, we can autogenerate an approximate transcript that you can edit. Please contact the Project Manager, Matt Jones, with any questions, and he will help you plan for this process. You should contact him in advance of your interview, so that you don't promise anything to the Interviewee that we cannot provide. We will do all we can!
6. We have a website that can provide an entry for your interview, and some selections from your interview. We have a web-master who can create the page for you, and a video editor who can create a 'cleaned up' version of the document for you and your interviewee, and excerpts for the website. These individuals can only do so much for you, and finally--you are the only authority who can make accurate and informed choices. The more you and any research assistance you have can take action, the better. You can talk further with the PI as the process unfolds, and you need assistance.
We recommend that you review the full document; but in the event, there is much of it that you will not use. It provides the support you need to conduct the warm and inclusive interview you want. Don't delay your interview if it is time-sensitive. We will accommodate you.
Gatherings: Archival & Oral Histories of Performance
Interview Guide
Contents / Checklist:
Introductory Statements
Introductory Statement about this document and how to approach its use--'creatively'
This is for you and only you
Ethics and Risk Assessment
A Working Document--Please Comment
A Statement on Media, Consent, and the Virtual Interview
Statement on Honoraria (a new initiative and how to make use of it)
Before and After The Interview: The Process
Before you Interview: Introduction and Consent
Introductory Statement about how to approach these documents
Required Statements that are on the Website, to refer to in conversation
Required Statements to provide to the Participant, by some means (options available)
The Invitation
The Consent
Optional Documents for use as needed in conversation
Resonant Questions
Information about Virtual Interviewing and Recording
Permissions to Include 'Physical Documents' in your Recording
What To Do After You Interview:
Preparing the Recording for Review
Providing relevant copies to the Participant for Review
Editing the Recording with the assistance of Gatherings Personnel
Getting the Agreement of the Participant to Proceed with Submission
What to Submit
Consent for an Interview
Permissions for contextual documentation
Media from the Interview
Related contextual content (used in the recording, or for the website)
Final Notes
All policies are under development.
Our relationship with relevant archives is under development.
Our relationship with physical material is under development.
Please make your opinions known as you proceed with the project.
To All Colleagues Involved in Gatherings:
From the PI
Some major changes were made to the process of Interviewing, just recently, through a revision to our Ethics Review submission to the University of Toronto. These revisions were accepted quickly and without comment, concern, or revision. This does not happen often, and we can take this as a good sign that we are on the right track.
I will outline briefly here the changes you will find on the following pages, which includes instructions, guides, and sample letters. It is a lot to read--so let me begin with emphasis:
“Showing respect does not come from following rules”
Greg Younging in The Elements of Indigenous Style, p30
The University of Toronto is quite clear on the question of 'consent'--and it does not require an unimaginative or slavish devotion to the forms and verbiage of authorized texts: “Consent may be documented in many ways. Oral or implied consent are as legitimate as written consent, and in some contexts may even be more appropriate. ...Regardless of the way in which consent is sought or documented, the primary focus of ethical concern should be on the quality of the consent. Consent should always be in language that is understandable and not legalistic or too scientific, and the consent process should make room for questions, as appropriate to the research context.” [Full text is reprinted in the document following.]
And this from me, as I understand this relationship, after more than two years talking with all of you, and thirty years of ethics reviews: "Please understand that this is all meant to ensure the best possible experience for your interview. It is not meant to prevent you from the creative and improvisatory give-and-take inherent in the interview process. Make use of what follows, but let reason be your guide. 'Informalize' what you read here in your relationships with participants; because nothing stops communication like a long list of rules. We do require some rules, but structure should serve to promote a creative engagement among all participants. As it is with any art form. The interview or the sonnet."
The following documents are amendments to the permissions and consent forms and the 'before and after' advice for conducting interviews--all changes were made (a) to accommodate on-line interviews, though of course this was always an option; and (b) to accommodate the new 'CoVid Initiative' to interview artists by Zoom, with Honoraria, on specific topics.
Introductory Statements for Gatherings Participants
This is for you and only you: This guide is meant to provide Gatherings Co-Investigators, Collaborators, Partner Representatives, and Research Associates with information about the necessary steps to take before and after an interview. Attached to this statement are the various templates and documents it references. Note that this information will be periodically updated throughout the Gatherings partnership. It is for your own benefit, and for your eyes only, as you go through the process of interviewing for the Gatherings Project.
Ethics and Risk Assessment: What follows relates to the Ethics Permissions obtained through the University of Toronto, a decision that lists all of you as applicants. You have 'permissions' as described below, for what are considered 'low risk' interviews/discussions. 'Low risk' means, in effect, that anyone you relate to under these terms is an adult, with full knowledge of the process and purpose of the interview, capable of giving permission for any mutually agreed upon use of the interview. This includes both those who make performance and those who attend performance, in case that question arises. It is not meant to restrict any of us--for example, to a particular relationship with 'the arts,' or a particular definition of 'professional.' The 'low risk' required by the university is only this--that the individuals involved have control over what it preserved and disseminated, are cognizant of their own responsibilities in the interview, and do not require any kind of special legal permission to speak about the subjects we are treating in this project. This will be generally true, but it bears repeating. If you have any questions or concerns about this, contact the PI.
A Working Document--Please Comment: Please make sure you are using the most recent version of this document, which we will update from time to time, generally after your input, as we proceed with the project. This version takes into account the effects of the pandemic, and has been adjusted to allow for online interviews, and in every respect, for interviews with one or many individuals at once. This version was created on [5 May 2020]
A Statement on Media, Consent, and the Virtual Interview: While most interviews make use of written consent, it is entirely appropriate, and practised widely, to conduct interviews by telephone, and online communication platforms such as Zoom or Skype. With respect to the media itself, it is important that all participants understand that they are being recorded, and understand their relationship with and control over the interview, as outlined on our website and in the information you will provide. It is also important that all participants understand, and state that they understand, the nature of their consent. This may be a signed paper document, but it may also quite legitimately be an exchange of emails or an oral agreement, made as part of the recorded interview. This is particularly true now, and needs reinforcing--it is all right to do all of this work at a distance.
Please note the following, from the University of Toronto’s advice on the subject, which is cogent and clear--what is important is the 'quality' of the consent: “Consent may be documented in many ways. Oral or implied consent are as legitimate as written consent, and in some contexts may even be more appropriate. For example, oral consent may be more appropriate than written consent if literacy or cultural appropriateness is an issue. The key idea is to go over the information verbally and document the process of gaining consent in field notes so as to leave a written trail. It is still reasonable to leave written material with the participant (e.g., an information letter). Regardless of the way in which consent is sought or documented, the primary focus of ethical concern should be on the quality of the consent. Consent should always be in language that is understandable and not legalistic or too scientific, and the consent process should make room for questions, as appropriate to the research context.”
What follows are templates for providing this 'quality.' Any questions should be directed to the PI, though two important notes follow:
1. The interviewee must be comfortable with the means of communication; for some, that might be a simple phone call or preliminary on-line communication, while for others it might necessitate a hard copy document, or pdf files. Do what is most appropriate for the best possible relationship between yourself and the interviewee.
2. All of the following statements should be treated seriously, but all can be delivered differently, and in summary, depending on your circumstances. If you believe that any changes alter the intentions of the relationship, discuss these with the PI. He will in turn consult with the Archival Policy Task Force, the Executive, and others as needed.
Please understand that this is all meant to ensure the best possible experience for your interview. It is not meant to prevent you from the creative and improvisatory give-and-take inherent in the interview process. Make use of what follows, but let reason be your guide. 'Informalize' what you read here in your relationships with participants; because nothing stops communication like a long list of rules. We do require some rules, but--structure should serve to promote a creative engagement among all participants. As it is with any art form...
Statement on Honoraria (from the PI): Under normal circumstances, compensation is not be offered to participants in exchange for their involvement in Gatherings interviews. However, we are asking to spend time in people's homes, taking time away from families, and placing stress on individuals at the best of times--let alone during a pandemic.
Gatherings has redirected funds that will not be used as intended (travel funds, primarily), toward the payment of honoraria to working artists, arts support personnel, culture workers, and others directly affected financially by the pandemic. These people will be invited to participate in our project through online interviews, and/or written/recorded submissions. Here are some necessary instructions:
Keeping Track: We do need to keep track of funds for this initiative, so it is important that each Co-Investigator, Collaborator, Partner Representative, and Research Associate send the Principal Investigator the name of anyone they intend to provide with an honoraria, and a statement of need. Lisa is preparing a simple form for you to fill out, as needed; that link will be distributed and this document updated when that is ready.
The Importance of Need: There are many people who will benefit from this initiative, and we will rely on your good judgement in this. But bear in mind that not everyone is in immediate need from the pandemic. Using myself as an example: I intend to talk with a number of more senior artists and researchers for this initiative, most of whom are retired and settled. They are not at risk financially during the pandemic--medically, yes, but financially, no. I will not be offering these individuals honoraria. They will benefit in other ways.
The Invitation: After you have received confirmation from the PI, you can indicate to the Participant/Interviewee in an email, along with the initial invitation, or later, that 'we would like to offer you a small honorarium for your participation in our project, in recognition and appreciation for the excellent work you perform for our community and our society. We will provide you with XXX, as an e-transfer to your bank account.' This is a template only. The important thing is that there is no 'payment for service' indicated. This is a 'thank you'--as outlined by SSHRC. See the next item for more on this.
The Payment: Honoraria will be $150.00 for an online interview, with a range of $100 to $250, depending on circumstances. Please confirm any payment with the PI before mentioning anything. This is a new initiative, and a work in progress. I invite your comments, addressed to me personally.
This is not 'payment for service.' It is what SSHRC defines as an 'Honorarium,' as follows: 'monetary payments made on a one-time or non-routine basis to an individual as a 'thank you' for a service for which fees are not traditionally required (i.e., for speeches, lectures, seminars, etc. by a guest lecturer/speaker).' I intend to proceed in this way, and not by 'Salary' or 'Stipend' or 'Reimbursement' (for expenses), though of course these are not unrelated. If there is a need for you to proceed in one of these other ways, contact me directly, and we will work it out. Sometimes the recipient needs funds paid in different ways.
I acknowledge that no amount we can provide to our colleague-artists, is going to provide what they need; but it is what we can do and still provide a reasonable range of dispursements, to be made use of by all of our Co-Investigators. As with so much of our work, individual circumstances can argue for some variation in payment; if you need advice on this, contact the PI. Honoraria will be paid by e-transfer, directly to the individual.
The initial payment of an Honorarium will be provided by funds outside of anyone's settled personal research budget. However, I suggest that you consider redirecting some of your own budget toward this effort, if it also benefits, and can provide a necessary substitute for your own research. It is, in effect, another way to do what you intended, then it would simply help more people in need to do it this way. If you think this might be true in your case, notify the PI, and we can discuss this option. But the repercussions of this pandemic are not going away soon--my own sense is that our relationships as researchers, with artists, will not be the same for some time.
Before and After The Interview: The Process
For any new oral histories that are being collected as part of Gatherings, Co-investigators, either directly or through proxy, are required to
provide certain materials to would-be participants in advance; and
return certain materials to the project after the interview.
Before You Interview: Introduction & Consent
Before any new interviews are conducted, interviewees must be contacted (unsurprisingly), invited to participate, and as a part of that invitation, referred to a statement on our website; this can be provided through an email or any reasonable alternative means. The important point to make here is that the interviewee must be comfortable with the means of communication; for some, that might be a simple phone call or preliminary on-line communication, while for others it might necessitate a hard copy document, or pdf files. Do what is most appropriate for the best possible relationship between yourself and the interviewee. We will outline the nature of these statements below. Also, depending upon your project, you may wish to provide interviewees with some optional information, also provided below.
All of the following statements are required, but all can be delivered differently, and in summary, depending on your circumstances (in written or oral form, for example). All prose can be adjusted to your needs, but if you believe that any changes alter the intentions of the relationship, discuss these with the PI. He will in turn consult with the Archival Policy Task Force, the Executive, and others as needed.
Required Statements-- on the website
In advance of any interview, Co-investigators need to provide reference to the following three statements, available on the website. There are no requirements regarding how far in advance these are to be provided, beyond ensuring participants have a reasonable opportunity to examine them. In other words, though it is preferable if you provide these materials well in advance, if necessary, you can walk a would-be participant through them just before an interview. Please note that, while materials will be available to examine on the website, the information they contain can be provided orally in advance of an in-person or on-line interview, and consent provided at that time (you should be certain to record this exchange). Here is what will be on the website:
Posted on the Website: A Message to All Participants in the Gatherings Research Project: This is a letter from the Principal Investigator introducing participants to the project. Potential participants can be directed to the Website for reference, and you can summarize at the beginning of the Interview.
Posted on the Website: A Statement on Consultation Regarding Ethics for all participants in Gatherings Projects: A reference guide that lays out how we developed our protocols. Potential participants can be directed to the Website for reference, and you can summarize at the beginning of the Interview.
Posted on the Website: A Statement concerning Consent. The specifics of Consent will be adjusted according to your needs, within the general guidelines approved by the university, and outlined below. On the Website, we will include a brief, general statement that any potential participants can review in advance of the interview, simply indicating the kind of consent that will be requested. You can provide your own statement, as soon as it is ready, or at the beginning of the interview; though we encourage you to deal with this early, to ensure that there is no extended discussion about this. See the following.
Required Statements--Provided to the Participants
The Invitation: You will (of course) provide an invitation to each potential participant. This will seem obvious, and quite straightforward; and it is. It can also be done in a range of written and oral forms (from letter and email to social media and phone call). However, it is important to remember to include certain statements in your initial invitation. We have provided this below as an Introductory Statement from the Interviewer to the Interviewee(s), a basic template for a statement on behalf of the Co-Investigator that allows you to outline your own background, interests and projects within Gatherings. We encourage everyone not previously familiar with the participants to do this, because it allows all parties to enter the conversation on an equal footing--with equal status. The document provided is a template; it can and should be edited to suit your project and the participants with whom you are communicating. Alternatively, you can prepare your own introduction, which can be provided by email, in person or virtually. We encourage you to provide this in advance, along with reference to the three general statements on the website noted above, as a way to ensure that your meeting will take place in full knowledge of each other's interests and needs. Clearly, any prior relationship with the Interviewee will determine the character of this introduction.
Consent for an Interview: Among the documents referred to in 1. is a general description of the kind of 'Consent' that will be requested by you. Anyone can read this in advance. For your own Interview, Consent can be provided with a signature to a written document, or by oral consent to a statement by the Interviewer, any time prior to the Interview, including at the beginning of the interview (as a preliminary oral exchange). A digital copy, in either case, will need to be deposited with Gatherings at the same time as you deposit the interview and any supplementary documents for archiving. Participants will be provided with their own copy of the document or recording, for their files.
The Consent Document is provided in the 'templates' that follow, along with further advice and instruction. Some participants may wish to cross out, or selectively edit, some statements. Assuming that those edits neither prevent you from conducting the interview nor the partnership archiving it, there are no issues in doing this. The participants should make these changes and indicate agreement, by initial if written, by stated mutual consent if oral. See below for further advice.
Optional Documents
Depending on the nature of the interview, you may wish to draw from the following documents as part of your relationship with the interviewee(s):
Resonant Questions for the Interview Process for Interviewers and Interviewees: A framework to help interviewers and interviewees to develop their discussion. This is particularly useful for focussed discussion, virtual or in person, as the Project has discussed: interviews concerning focus documents 'at home'; interviews concerning response to the pandemic, and its effects on the arts and the artist; and interviews concerning the early memory and first contact with live performance. These lists of questions are suggestions only, meant as an inspiration and a guide. If you wish to alter questions, or you have your own questions to work from, you are encouraged to take whichever option suits your needs.
A Statement Concerning Virtual Interviewing and Recording: Among the templates below is a statement concerning the use of Zoom for conducting and recording interviews. This is a well-used procedure, but it is recent, and issues have arisen. Please read the document, and pass along the significant information to your Interviewee, as needed. Mention of the background behind them, for example, and the general 'setting' and 'costume' may be obvious, but from a legal standpoint, we are entering a home, and we must pay attention to that fact. A little 'staging'--and 'stage managing'--can only improve the experience, and the result.
Physical Document Release Form: Participants will need to sign these, or provide a verbal agreement, to reproduce or excerpt from any aural document (ie., a recording of sound of any kind) or visual document (ie., a photograph or other printed or manuscript material), only if they are sharing such materials in an online interview or as a digitized contextual document for posting. The present document is a work in progress and will be updated in the future. Attached here is a template for your use. Please note that the project has a limited ability to digitize content, nor is it normally able to accept physical material, though we will assist in finding appropriate archives for secure deposit. Any content requiring digitization beyond the needs of the specific interview will be the responsibility of the Co-Investigator. Any questions or concerns should be discussed with the PI; we will certainly assist in any way we can to provide advice and to find a home for any and all materials, though we can make no promises.
What to Do After You Interview
After any new interviews are conducted, you will need to:
Provide relevant copies of the interview to the interviewee for review. We encourage you to discuss the best way to do this with the interviewee, and speak to the appropriate Research Associates and Task Force members for advice and assistance (if in doubt, ask the PI). For example, for the coming year (2020-21):
Transcripts: At the request of the Interviewee, we will provide a 'rough' transcript of the Interview to help them expedite a review of the whole. The transcript will be created with available software and should not be considered editorially rigorous, but only a visual marker for listening, and for commentary by all those involved. This transcript will not be available for public posting. Copies will be on file with the Project, and the Interviewee. A more editorially competent copy of a transcript may be created for posting, depending on the specific needs of your project, but it cannot be guaranteed. Interviewers and Interviewees should discuss this prospect, and consult with the Gatherings Executive and Archival Task Force if there are any questions.
Editorial Work: We will provide, with your assistance, a 'first edit' of your interview, if there are technical issues that need to be resolved prior to sending it to the Participants.
Timing: The goal is to submit the 'raw material' to the Interviewee for vetting and approval as soon as possible after the interview. All Participants should be communicated with once a week to report on progress, if preparation takes more than a week.With the assistance of the Gatherings Research Associates (as needed), we can make any edits to the interview media required per the interviewees feedback. If interviewees wish certain things redacted, those redactions must be honoured across all media (text, audio, video, etc.). This edited version will then be shown to the Participant(s).
Once the interviewee has signed off (through email acknowledgement or otherwise) on the final, edited version of their interview, you will need to provide basic metadata and relevant materials from the Introduction & Consent Package.
What to submit -- the results of your interview
The following materials should be deposited in a Dropbox Folder for those who will be responsible for a final review, archiving and posting. We will advise on how to do this. Here is what we should all have when we're done:
Consent for an Interview, either a written and signed document, or the recorded agreement at the outset of the interview. This is essential. A written document must be signed and dated by both the interviewer and interviewee; the oral statement must have the equivalent mutual agreement and date stated clearly. We cannot accept any materials that do not have an associated consent.
Any permission statements for visual or aural recording, video recording, and other supplementary forms of documentation. These must be signed and dated by both the interviewer and interviewee (or, if managed online, the equivalent exchange of emails or recorded oral agreement). This is essential for any supplementary material. We cannot accept any supplementary materials that do not have an associated consent.
Any media of your interview: text, audio, video, etc. As noted above, we will provide, with your assistance, an edited version that you can then submit to the Interviewee for vetting and approval. At this point, we can provide further support to create the final work that you want.
Any related digital content: aural recordings, photos, videos, playbills, etc
Some Notes for Consideration
As we develop formal policies around accessioning and de-accessioning, this guide is meant to serve as an imperfect framework for such policy. If you have feedback regarding this document, please share it with the Archival Policies Task Force directly, as well as the Principal Investigator.
We are still working through the process of how to ensure any materials you collect make it to a relevant archive for longer term storage. This is something we encourage you to discuss with interviewees. Any ideas you can provide us with will be welcome.
This guide obviously makes no mention of physical archival materials. If you are working with interviewees that have significant collections they would like to donate, please contact us directly so we can discuss a plan.
A Consent Form for greater-risk populations is in development.
Do not hesitate to write with any questions.
TEMPLATES AND SAMPLES
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INTRODUCTORY COMMUNICATION FROM INTERVIEWER TO INTERVIEWEE(S) AFTER INITIAL CONTACT AND PROVISIONAL AGREEMENT
From: [Name and address of the Interviewer] To: [Name of the Interviewee]
Thank you for considering your participation in an Interview for the Gatherings Project. In anticipation, and as a part of the Project's belief that this is a collective effort, created out of mutual respect and a sharing of knowledge, I am writing to give you some information about myself.
[Brief Statement: biographical; personal relationship with performance]
It is important that you have all the information you need before agreeing to participate. A general statement from the Gatherings Principal Investigator, and some information on our Ethics Standards and our own intended relations with all participants, is available on our website [HERE]. I encourage you to look around the website, so you can get an idea of our goals.
I will be in touch with you to discuss the best possible way to conduct our interview, and to finalize an agreement: about timing, location, questions and topics, any documents that we might use to help our discussion, methods of recording, and who will be in attendance.
I look forward very much to spending time with you, in this important work. Best wishes,
[Interviewer]
*
CONSENT FORM FOR AN INTERVIEW
[Note to Interviewers: What follows is the general template for your request for consent. It is assumed that you will alter and personalize this according to your needs. This should be provided to the potential participant in writing; the consent itself can be provided by signature, return-receipt email, or orally at the outset of the interview. If in writing, you should provide the Gatherings logo, but otherwise personalize this as much as you can.
Text:
Thank you for agreeing to participate in an interview for Gatherings: Archival and Oral Histories, a research project that proposes to collect, curate, disseminate, and archive a wide variety of documents that will help to preserve the histories of performance practice in Canada. You can learn more about our own histories and goals from the accompanying letters, and from our website: gatheringspartnership.com We are prepared to answer any questions you have about the project, by emailing the Principal Investigator Stephen Johnson performancegatherings@gmail.com
By providing your consent, you are agreeing to the following:
1. The interview process will be recorded for research purposes in some combination of video, audio, and written documentation. You can decide on the means of recording prior to the interview. You may also interrupt or end a conversation during the interview at any time, or end the interview completely at any time.
2. When first created, the recording of the interview will be stored on password-protected online folders, while under review for any technical errors or 'clean-up.' You will receive a copy of the recording, and any agreed-on supporting materials, normally within one month of the interview. These will remain in your possession. You are the owner of these files, and their contents.
3. We will review the recording with you, so that you can determine if there are any specific sections you wish edited or deleted. Based on that review, we can then publish excerpts of the recorded interview, and related materials, in a web publication, and make use of quotations from the interview as part of any print publication. Any statements by you will be fully credited. You will have the opportunity to review and approve any excerpted materials that will be posted on the web or published in print, prior to publication. You can remove any or all of your material from the Gatherings website, at any time, with a written request, by contacting the Gatherings Principal Investigator, Stephen Johnson.
4. With your advice, we will look for an appropriate archive or archives in which to store the edited full recording, a physical location where this history will be accessible to researchers. Your agreement on the location and distribution of the material will be necessary in advance of any donation. In addition to your own copy, we will keep a copy of the full recording until it is appropriately deposited in a secure archive.
5. Once the material has been delivered to you, deposited safely in an archive agreed upon by you, and excerpted for our own publication, normally within a year of recording, we agree to destroy all materials from our own archive. This will be done unless we have your permission to keep a copy for a longer period and for further use. The emphasis of our project is to provide a service, the results of which rest with you, a physical archive, and online, all with your agreement.
With your participation, we will all collect and preserve rare and important information tracing a significant cultural heritage.
This interview will be conducted by _____________________ . If you have any questions or concerns about this research or the conduct of the researcher, you are welcome to the Project Director of the Gatherings Project directly at performancegatherings@gmail.com or the Principal Investigator at sjohnson.research@gmail.com
PERMISSION STATEMENT: I have read the statement above, and accompanying letters of introduction. I understand what this research involves, and agree to participate on a volunteer basis. I have been given a copy of this consent form for my records and reference. I agree to be recorded by the following means: audio-recorded; video-recorded; photographed; written notes made during the interview.
[Note: If Permission is taken care of orally, the intent of the statement above should be made to the Participants, and each participant should respond in agreement. If this is taken care of in writing, then include the following: [Participant Name]: Consent: [a return email provided stating consent will be used in lieu of a signature] Date:
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE USE OF ZOOM (AND RELATED SOFTWARE)
It is important to give some information to participants about Zoom (or whatever means you use for your interview). We will provide further information in another document, and circulate what we find out in the mean time. In particular, it is important that all Participants be aware of their surroundings, because we are (after all) entering their home. We must be certain to seek permission to enter, and to record while there. And it is important that everyone is aware of the mise-en-scene of that recording--the set and costume design, for example. These are very simple matters, particularly for seasoned performers; but they not be so obvious to the 'seasoned' audience member.
More to come, with links.
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Gatherings: Archival & Oral Histories of Performance Document Release Form
Please provide a new form for each individual from whom you are obtaining permissions. You can generate multiple forms and send them via email to these individuals by using the copy and paste functions in MS Word. Note that for most materials, permissions may be necessary from the individual owner of the document, from the original creator of the document, and from each subject recorded by or in that document, all depending on the provenance. Advice from the Gatherings Executive, appropriate Task Force, and the PI should be sought if there are any questions or complications. Any copies of documents not accompanied by a complete set of permission forms from the copyright holders will not be included in Gatherings.
Be sure to include a clear and explicit statement from the creator—either a signature or an email pasted into the form below.
NAME OF CREATOR/OWNER OF COPYRIGHT:
ADDRESS:
DESCRIPTION OF DOCUMENT(S) [Note: This may include photographs of productions, personnel or designs, creative artistic works related to productions, aural or visual recordings of artistic works, individuals, or physical objects related to the subject of the interview.]
CREATOR URL:
The Creator (that is, the photographer, recorder, or other artist or manufacturer) hereby grants to Gatherings (the Publisher) a worldwide, nonexclusive permission to publish/post copies of any material described above as an integral part of the work of Gatherings, in print, electronic or any other form and in any media now known or hereafter devised, subject to the conditions below:
1. The customary credit will be given to the Creator.
2. The Publisher will not, without a further granting of permission, publish or distribute the Image(s) except as an integral part of the publication/posting in which the Article appears. .
3. The Creator’s name will appear in any caption for reproduced items. If you would like the Creator’s website to be featured with the caption, please provide it in the appropriate box above.
4. This permission covers only material in which the Creator holds copyright (i.e., it does not cover any material with an independent copyright).
5. This permission covers the use of documentary material in any promotional content for Gatherings, including print and online supplementary materials. The Creator will always be given customary credit.
Please email a copy the above section to each Creator and ask her/him to send an email consenting to the terms explained above. This email permission should be pasted in the box provided below, and it MUST show: 1) the email address from which this permission was sent; and 2) the date of the email correspondence.
Insert email here:
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RESONANT QUESTIONS FOR THE INTERVIEW PROCESS FOR INTERVIEWERS AND INTERVIEWEES
[Of course, Interviewers are free to develop their own questions and lines of inquiry, depending on the mutual interests with the Interviewee. What follows are suggestions only.]
1. THE PERSONAL ARCHIVE IN A TIME OF ISOLATION
[To be filled in]
2. THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC ON THE CREATION OF PERFORMANCE
[To be filled in]
3. REMEMBERING LIVE PERFORMANCE
Following are sets of questions that we believe will be of help as you prepare for this interview. You are under no obligation to follow these questions; but these 'kind' of questions, in our experience, can help in the creation of our histories. Everyone involved in the Gatherings Project understands that all Interviews will be the creation of the people present in the moment. We have outlined our goals for the project in the cover letter and look forward to helping you.
INTERVIEWS WITH PRACTITIONERS:
Describing myself: Could you describe your artistic practice, as you normally do when anyone asks you 'what you do' and 'what you have done.' This is a good starting point for any conversation. The following questions and topics of conversation follow up on this description.
Your Training and Education: How did you become interested in this practice? Describe the kind of training or education that best prepared you for your artistic practice?
You as an Audience: What kinds of performances were you exposed to when you were growing up--in any medium (live performance, film, television...something else?). How do you believe they influenced you as an artist, and as someone who watches performance? What are your most resonant or memorable experiences of being an audience member?
Significant People who influenced your growth as an artist: What people-- whether seen in theatre, film, television, anywhere--do you believe influenced your own involvement in performance practice? Describe what they did in performance that you thought was unique, or representative, or typical? What is it that you imitated, or perhaps countered with a different kind of performance? How has the 'watching of others' influenced your own practice?
Distinguishing your artistic practice: In your opinion, what distinguishes your particular artistic practice from other related kinds of performance? What are the skills that are most specific to what you do, and how do you practice them differently from other people?
Your idea of a 'history' of your artistic practice: What sense of a history and tradition do you have about your own artistic practice? Are there artists from the past that you particularly admire, perhaps have studied on film or otherwise? People who wrote about theatre? What texts and teachers most influenced you, taught you? What is the 'history' of your own art form, insofar as you understand it?
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