On Tuesday 25 November our postgraduate students had the privilege of participating in a lively and valuable interactive workshop led by Dr Camilla Portesani (University of Luxembourg), a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Public History here at QUB.

Public History is an ambitious and evolving field, interdisciplinary by nature, experimental in method, and deeply rooted in collaboration. But implementing it in practice often means navigating uncertainty, managing complexity and numerous challenges, and making difficult ethical decisions in real time.

This hands-on workshop invited our graduate students to engage with the real-world complexities of Public History practice. Through interactive exercises and scenario-based challenges, participants explored the ethical, interpersonal, and methodological tensions that arise when theory meets practice, reflecting on their own positionality, testing strategies for navigating difficult situations, and sharpening the practical skills needed to work confidently and ethically in the field.