BETHEL, NY (CelebrityAccess) — As part of its ongoing mission to preserve the legacy of the famed 1969 Woodstock Music & Arts Fair, the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts announced it will be once again taking its Oral History Initiative on the road in 2024.
The initiative seeks to make a record of the stories of people who were at Woodstock in 1969 and this year, will focus on those who may have worked at Woodstock, served as a volunteer, or had interactions with any of the organizations who came to Woodstock to aid with the festival.
Additionally, the nonprofit organization is also collecting stories about the wider social movements in New York City and the surrounding region and has formed partnerships with the American LBGTQ+ Museum and the Borsch Belt Marker project aim to collect stories from people who were on the front lines of justice and reform.
Attendees can participate by recording their stories with curators of The Museum at Bethel Woods in locations across the country:
• New York City, NY: June 9-10 at Dyckman Farmhouse in Inwood
• Bethel, NY: June 14-16 at The Museum at Bethel Woods
• Columbus, OH: June 28-30 at ComFest in Goodale Park
• New York City, NY: August 4 at New York Historical Society
• Kauneonga Lake, New York: August 17 at Farmers Market
“At the Museum at Bethel Woods, we have a mission to preserve the lasting impact of Woodstock for years to come, which is why we are dedicated to safeguarding the stories of those who were part of the unique journey,” said Dr. Neal V. Hitch, Senior Curator at The Museum at Bethel Woods. “Through the oral history initiative, we began collecting stories that were so much bigger. Our goal in 2024 is to create partnerships and reach into communities that have been historically underserved. We want to record the experiences of as many participants, attendees, workers, and volunteers from the era as we can, because we know they are slipping away fast. These narratives are invaluable in shaping and preserving the rich history and legacy of the ‘60s and through these partnerships our hope is that the stories can be shared to through as many outlets, exhibits, and programs as possible.”
The oral history project began in the early days of the pandemic and to date, more than 1,200 stories have been documented through the initiative, including 300 new audiovisual interviews in 2023 alone.
The project is supported, in part, by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and will focus on gathering stories from under-recorded voices—particularly those from diverse and disadvantaged communities–within the history of 1960s counterculture.
“We are honored to receive this grant from NEH, as part of its Cultural and Community Resilience Program,” added Hitch. “It has allowed partnerships with organizations that really expand the stories that we collect and will offer perspectives on peace, justice, and resistance that are integral to the legacy of the 1960s. Through this project, oral histories will provide a broader perspective on the effects and sacrifices made in pursuit of change and will be more accessible to everyone.”
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