History Speak is a proposal for a series of exhibitions that examine multiple narratives of history by comparing secondary school history textbooks from Australia, Britain, Hong Kong and India. The exhibition concept is unique in that, rather than using objects to facilitate the telling of a story, it uses stories to facilitate the examination of the books themselves as objects.

 

The intended audiences for these exhibitions are students and faculty from Social Sciences who have an interest in historical discourse, politics, education and international relations. The exhibition aims to encourage audiences to think retrospectively of their own early education and to enhance their sensitivity toward the discrepancies between different national histories. 

 

The proposal itself is a collaborative tool that enables clients to identify the content best suited to their objectives. It also showcases basic design principles that would translate the chosen content into spatial experiences adapted to different sites. The proposal is expandable, incorporating the potential to add more textbooks based on the criteria of the particular exhibition being undertaken.

 

History Speak aspires to connect multiple clients across different spaces, with the view of forming a continuum to study the ‘telling’ of history and how it might inform contemporary attitudes.