The Archiving Irish America conference calls for participants to explore the new realities of Irish archives in North America, complemented with perspectives from Ireland and elsewhere. Of particular interest are the ways that cultural practitioners engage with archives and archival practices. The Archiving Irish America conference will also feature presentations and workshops from the Ward Irish Music Archives (WIMA) that showcase their collections, archival projects, and practical insights.  A keynote talk will from Liz Carroll, champion Irish fiddler who has engaged extensively with archival recordings for her performances. A keynote talk on traditional dance is to be announced shortly.

Presentations representing a wide range of modalities are encouraged, including academic research, ongoing collection projects, performance interpretations, personal engagements, and workshops on practical issues in collection or archiving. Presentations will be considered for online or other publication through WIMA, and presenters are encouraged to engage with this conference in a multi-media format. The conference will be in person at the Ward Irish Music Archives and will be livestreamed to expand audience participation.

• Academic papers (20 minutes)
• Personal experiences and narratives (20 minutes)
• Presentation of archival resources or findings (20 minutes)
• Demonstrations or performances of archival materials (30 or 60 minutes)
• Roundtable discussions on relevant topics (3–4 people for 60 or 90 minutes)
• Digital poster presentations with short 5-minute video reel

Jeff Ksiazek, Ward Irish Music Archive, Milwaukee