On 23 July 2026, Géo-Cités (CRIA), IFRA-Nigeria and the University of Ibadan will organise a workshop on "Sensitive and minority archives: select, digitize and archiving." The workshop is part of the ongoing research project (in consolidation phase) “Archiving and Digitizing African Futures: Minority Memories and Heritage,” which uses archival materials to study the memory and heritage of groups in Africa that are marginalized, stigmatized, dissident, or underrepresented, as well as their visions of the future. The “archival turn,” which originated in the English-speaking world, questions the notion of archives produced in colonial contexts. African researchers have reinterpreted colonial archives from an Afrocentric perspective, considering, for example, oral traditions, performance, and gestural expression as “archives” within the framework of a living, fluid, and relational archival approach (Adeduntan A., Omitola O., 2023). Some co-produced projects aim to return these archives to marginalized groups: examples include digital archive projects highlighting forms of emancipation such as the “Archives of Nigerian Left” in Nigeria or, in South Africa, the “GALA Queer Archives,” as well as the digital community archive project “A People’s Guide to Archives and Democracy.”
Through this workshop, we aim to present, analyze, and re-examine archival collections that focus in particular on urban resistance, alternative narratives, and “minority” groups—as well as their spatial representation, digitization, and dissemination to diverse audiences. We will encourage a participatory approach, as we are inviting organizations to register alongside students. We also wish to reflect on the concepts and uses of “anthropological” and “sensitive” archives and, above all, on archives created in non-academic contexts (associations, communities).
Finally, existing archival collections will be mobilized by participants, who—working in multidisciplinary teams—will be invited to propose ideas for alternative interpretations or reinterpretations of the archives.
We particularly encourage applications from students in the social sciences, African studies, urban planning, visual and sound arts, and members of organizations that study or are part of groups that are marginalized, stigmatized, underrepresented, or little-recognized. Participants will be asked to bring a few examples of their “archives” to serve as a basis for the rewritings. The workshop aims for gender equality. Please indicate your gender on the registration form, along with your discipline, your current research topic, and your interest in the proposed theme.
Workshop proposed and coordinated by prof. Barbara Morovich, University of Paris1, Panthéon La Sorbonne.
Practical information:
Registration form: https://forms.gle/dVCJLeeFfCf2DYsH6
Registration deadline: July 9.
Notification of acceptance: July 14.
PRELIMINARY PROGRAM
Session 1 (9:00–11:00 a.m.):
Expanding the Concept of Archives (anthropological archives and sensitive archives; building a corpus from fieldwork: archives of urban resistance).
Session 2 (11:00 AM–1:00 PM):
Ethical issues related to digitization: some examples from African archives
Session 3 (2:00 PM–5:00 PM):
Archives reimagined: transdisciplinary proposals.
The workshop is free, but space is limited to 15 participants. Travel expenses will not be refunded. A meal will be provided for participants.