Roger Kitchen provides tailored training courses in Oral History interviewing and recording, many of them on behalf of the Oral History Society. The training is based on learning from the mistakes he has made in more than 30 years of collecting oral history recordings.
The basic element is a one day course that covers the interviewing process, getting a good sound, copyright clearance, and digitising and archiving. It's very hands-on and aimed at the beginner.

There is a suggested timetable for the day but each group can make suggestions for things to be included or ommitted. Roger is endlessly flexible!

Additional days can also be organised - in project planning or sound digitising and editing for example

He has provided training courses for volunteers for Local Heritage Initiative and HLF projects.

Groups he has worked with recently include Oxford Museum, The Chinese Mental Health Association, Lynsted with Kingsdown Society, Tamworth CAMRA group, Humber & Wolds Rural Community Council, 6th Birmingham Boys' Brigade, Iteso Welfare Association, PhD students at the Royal College of Art, Risbygate Arts, The Red Room.

In 2005 Roger was employed to carry out 36 interviews for the National Forest Company's LANDshapes-Heritage in the Making project. The range of people he spoke to was enormous, from coal miner to birdwatcher,from landowner to chicken breeder - but what they all had in common through their childhood, occupation or hobby was an interaction with the local landscape. All of interviews (with transcripts) are available to be listened to (with every 'um' and 'er' from the interviewer!) on the
East Midlands Oral History website

Reactions to training courses

"I feel much more confident and aware of the approach and questioning needed for a successful and relaxed interview".

"I feel that due to both the skill of the delivery and the format of the course to keep the attention of a group for the whole day was indeed an achievement. I believe that because we enjoyed the day we got so much more out of it."

"Just to say thank you for your excellent seminar on oral history interviewing techniques and technology - everyone found it useful, highly informative and insightful. "