Gatherings: Archival and Oral Histories of Performance

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE 2018 - 2024

Prospering during the Pandemic:  Our project was supported for three years, from 2018 until 2021.  In January 2020, the Pandemic altered our plans in ways that will be familar to most readers.  We continued our project in an entirely virtual environment, for any communications, for meetings, and for most of our symposia and other public presentations.  Prevented from researching in physical archives, we examined archives available online, and in our own homes, and the homes of others.  Unable to interview people in person, we conducted a wider range of interviews using Zoom technology.  On the one hand, our project was delayed because of the pandemic; but on the other hand, our budget was stretched considerably because travel was prevented.  Our goals were sufficiently flexible to accommodate the limitations--and possibilities--of online communication.  They were also able to accommodate the slowing down of time that came with the pandemic.  The result was a productive six-year project, that helped us when we applied for further support, resulting in our $2.5 million dollar SSHRC Grant.

 The Supervisory Committee / Committee-of-the-Whole consisted of all Co- Investigators and Collaborators on the project, as well as representatives from each of our three Institutional Partners. This was the final arbiter for all project decisions, and the pool from which all members of the Executive Committee and Chairs of the Task Forces (listed below) were drawn. The Supervisory Committee provided direction and oversight for the project, meeting quarterly to review, approve and advise.  Chair: Selected from the Members.

The Executive Committee consisted of the Principal Investigator (Chair), a Budget Officer, a Liaison Officer (Co-Investigator in charge of internal communications for the project); a Project Manager (an appointed and salaried position); and any others required, selected ad hoc by the PI. The Executive Committee answered to the Supervisory Committee. It administered and distributed budgets; managed schedules and overall timelines and resources; handled all internal communications; and provided the initial public face of the project through its website, newsletter, among other resources. It also provided initial supervision of any paid assistance, including Research Assistants and Postdoctoral Candidates. Finally, it assigned the Chairs for all Task Forces, with the approval of the Supervisory Committee. Decisions were made by the Chair on advice from the Committee. 

Task Forces were created to pursue specific goals on behalf of the project, including but not restricted to Archives and Collections Liason; Individual Research Project Support; Publications Planning; Curatorship and Exhibitions; and Outreach. The focus of Task Forces changed during the life of the project, reviewed by the Executive Committee regularly. Two Co-Chairs were assigned to each Task Force, who then named others members at their discretion. 

Personnel Throughout the Grant:  The Co-Investigators, Collaborators, and Contributors involved in our project to date are listed on related pages, with biographical information.  For the record, we want to thank the following people:  Project Directors / PostDoctoral Fellows:  Kelsey Jacobson; Lisa Aikman; Matt Jones; Sarah Robbins;  Research Assistants:  Sarah Robbins; Caitlin Gowans; Sanja Vodovnik; David DeGrow; Myrto Koumarianos; Priyanka Chatterjee; Anna Paliy; Elif Isikozlu