Secrets: Archives and Power workshop

Secrets are clearly a tool of the powerful. But like many tools of the powerful, they can also be used as a weapon of the weak; activists hiding things from police, workers from their bosses, children from their parents.

On first glance it would seem that a public archive is the opposite of the secret – this is where materials go to be seen and accessed by anyone. But in reality, the operations of secretness in the archive are much more complex and nuanced.

Working with material from the archive of semi-covert artist group ‘The Invigilator Research Network’, as well as a selection of secret and not-so-secret materials from UCL Special Collections, artist Simon Farid and the Special Collections team invite you to join this hands-on workshop and discussion. You will explore degrees of secretness in archives, different ways to handle secrets and exposure, and how to keep a secret while still talking about it.

You will also be joined by SCCI students from UCL's Public History MA, who are participating in this workshop as part of their studies. 

This free event will be held in the Culture Lab at UCL East, a teaching and sharing space which works with collections from UCL and beyond to support and nurture a new generation of curators. Come along, share some secrets, and see our current 'Power!' exhibition!

Please note that booking is required for this event due to the limited number of spaces available.