Bridging Ages conference in Tallinn, Estonia, 3.-5 (6) June. 2011
The conference is organised by Bridging Ages. International Organisation in Historic Environment Education and Time Travels together with the Tallinn City Museum.

Call for papers
The past has not always been a smooth, linear process. Changes often come suddenly and the society takes another direction. Sometimes the changes come violently, sometimes more peaceful, sometimes you don’t see the turning point until afterwards. There are changes only affecting the local community but there are also major changes affecting nationally and internationally.
In the 20th century the two world wars have been turning points for many; the Great Depression, the collapse of the Berlin wall and the Soviet empire, the end of the apartheid system, the peace treaty on Ireland, the atomic bomb, liberation from colonial rule in Africa, global warming, the green revolution are other turning points. And there are many more.....

How do we deal with those turning points when writing our history? Is the turning point a way to make peace with/understand the past, a way to healing and reconsiliation after a conflict? Or is it only the victor who writes the “new” history? And what local sites and stories are connected to the turning point?

At the Bridging Ages conference in Tallinn we are going to explore how we deal with Turning Points in History in today’s society. We will use the Time Travel method to experience the changes in Estonian history in the 1980s. And we want more examples from all over the world how we today deal with turning points in history, how local events and sites are used. And how all of this benefit’s today’s society.

The aim is to discuss both theoretical issues and share practical experiences.

Some of the key questions
• How should the past be told and whose stories and perspectives are important?
• In what way can turning points in the past promote social cohesion and peace today?
• How can local historic sites and events be used to explore turning points in history? What is the role of museums, schools, universities, municipalities and community organizations?
• What educational methods are useful in understanding and learning from changes and turning points in the past? Studies-story telling-Time Travels-......

Send your proposal containing a title, an abstract and a few words about yourself by 1st of March 2011 to kadri.nigulas@linnamuuseum.ee.

The conference
The conference will take place in Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia during its reign as European Capital of Culture. Sessions, comprising of lectures, seminars and workshops, will be held on the June 3rd and 5th and a Time Travel will take place on June 4th. The program is designed to foster the development of discussions relating to the relationship between theoretical frameworks and practical fieldwork. The conference is due to take place at the same time as the traditional medieval culture festival Old Town Days.

Preliminary program

2nd of June (Thursday)
Arrival, informal gathering

3rd of June (Friday)
09:00 Registration.
10:00 Introduction, First session
12:15 Lunch
13:30 Second session
15:45 Visit at Estonian History Museum, introduction to the Time Travel
19:00 Dinner

4th of June (Saturday)
09:00 Time Travel: 1986 in Tallinn, A day at school (lunch included)
Coffee. Reflections.
14:15 What happened afterwards? – Documentary shots from the end of 1980s and the 1990s, comments by Tõnu Pedaru.
Evening program: A tour in the old town / a tour in the passages under the bastions (permanent exhibition: Tallinn 1219 – 2219)

5th of June (Sunday)
09:00 First session
10:45 Second session
12:15 Lunch
13:30 Third session
15:00 Panel discussion. Conclusion.

6th of June (Monday), excursion day
Tour in Northern Estonia, visiting museums and sightseeing. Return to Tallinn late in the evening.

Registration for the conference will start on February 1st and close on April 1st 2011. There will be a registration form available on the address www.linnamuuseum.ee/linnamuuseum/en/ and on www.bridgingages.com
The estimated participation fee will be 200 Euros, there will be an extra fee for the excursion on the 6th of June.

Information and news about the conference will be available in the website of Tallinn City Museum www.linnamuuseum.ee/linnamuuseum/en/ and on the Bridging Ages website www.bridgingages.com