Edmonton City as Museum Project Call for Story Contributors

A view of the High Level bridge crossing over the North Saskatchewan River, looking west. Edmonton, Alberta, March 2015.

Are you passionate about Edmonton’s history or cultural heritage? Do you enjoy writing, researching or storytelling? Is there a story from our city’s past or your past in the city that you want to share with Edmontonians? Then contribute your history or heritage story to the Edmonton City as Museum Project (ECAMP).

For 2020, the Edmonton City as Museum Project is soliciting 26 new stories for our online collection. Stories will be published on the ECAMP website, one per week, from July to December 2020.

What kinds of stories?

The Edmonton City as Museum Project is an initiative of the Edmonton Heritage Council that explores the history & heritage of our city through story: the stories that connect us, the stories that have divided us, and the stories that will nurture an understanding & appreciation of our differences as Edmontonians.

ECAMP shares stories about:

  • The PeoplePlacesThings, & Moments significant to the history and cultural heritage of Edmonton & Edmontonians.
  • *NEW* YEG Arrivals: Getting Here & Being Here. A city is made up of its people, and many Edmontonians came to our city from somewhere else. As such, stories of migration are essential to the story of Edmonton. Consider sharing how you or someone from your family came to be in Edmonton and what life was like when you arrived.

Those interested in contributing to ECAMP may submit a pitch for any story/stories relevant to the history and cultural heritage of Edmonton. The ECAMP Curator is available to help develop story ideas and provide advice throughout the process. Do not hesitate to reach out.

A list of potential ECAMP People generated by the ECAMP Facebook community, January 2020

Who can contribute to ECAMP?
ECAMP explores the multifaceted history & cultural heritage of Edmonton from the perspective of Edmontonians. Anyone with an interest or experience in writing, researching, storytelling, history or cultural heritage is encouraged to contribute.

For 2020, priority will be given to stories and story contributors historically excluded from representations of Edmonton’s past, such as Indigenous and racialized peoples, members of the LGBTQ2S+ community & later twentieth-century newcomers.)

What are the expectations?

ECAMP stories are between 600-1000 words. Stories can be one-off articles or a series of posts exploring a single topic or theme.

Each story includes at least three images. Photos may be personal photos, or they can be archival photos from museums and archives across Alberta. ECAMP will cover any fees for archival images. Stories may also contain embedded audio and video content from the Internet, as long as story contributors have written permission to do so.

A list of potential ECAMP Places generated by the ECAMP Facebook community, January 2020

Payment

Payment is between $240-$400 per story, depending on the length of the piece. Payment takes place after the final draft has been submitted to the ECAMP Curator.

How to Submit
Expressions of Interest (EOIs) can be submitted between February 1 and March 31, 2020. ECAMP accepts EOIs in a variety of formats (written submissions, audio or video recordings, or in-person presentations.) Written submissions should be 1-2 pages in length and submitted as a single PDF. Recorded or in-person submissions should be between 3-5 minutes in length. EOIs can be submitted via Dropbox.

EOIs should include:

  • Your contact information (email address, mailing address & phone number);
  • A brief description of the stories you would like to share relevant to the history & cultural heritage of Edmonton & Edmontonians;
  • The number of stories you are interested in producing;
  • A brief description of your writing, researching or storytelling experience.

To submit an EOI, schedule an in-person submission, or to ask a question, please contact the ECAMP Curator, Christina Hardie.

Project Contact
Christina Hardie, ECAMP Curator
E: info@citymuseumedmonton.ca
T: 780-429-0166 ext. 223

Download a PDF version of the Call for Contributors or see the post on the ECAMP website.