knoeful

Festivals & Community Celebrations

I'm producing a series of programs called "Hoosier Community Celebration Stories" documenting community celebrations and festivals in Indiana. These programs record the institutional history of these community events, paying homage to the persons who helped build and sustain them while capturing the flavor, character and energy of a community coming together for a common purpose. By building this digital video library I hope to preserve the traditions that enrich the cultural lives of the citizens of Indiana. The project will recognize the human consequences of local historical events that help mold community pride. Theses consequences are often vividly displayed during festivals and other local community events that define the unique and rewarding experience of living in a Hoosier community. Documenting these events calls attention to rich cultural elements that are often taken for granted and what emerges is a more viable community proud of its history yet ready to move forward. Profiling individuals important to maintaining this cultural pride (particularly senior citizens) is the cornerstone of this project. By using oral history interviews this project will bring an emotional connection to the history of communities by giving voice to the common folk. The living memory of older people helps fill in the historical gaps. It tells us things about our past not included in books and historical documents and gives us a genuine living history that is immediate, tangible and relevant.