In this fifteen-minute conversation, host Véronique Faber speaks with Dr. Vanessa Toulmin, Professor at the University of Sheffield and founder of the National Fairground and Circus Archive, to explore the tradition of “barking” or “telling the tale” at the fairground. Coming from a show people family herself, Dr. Toulmin shares both historical insights and personal memories of this vocal performance used to attract visitors. She discusses how the practice has evolved through shifts in technology and music—highlighting how showmanship continues to adapt and embrace new developments. The episode concludes with a story about the Crazy Cinematograph, a traveling cinema at Luxembourg’s Schueberfouer.

This episode wouldn’t have come together without Dr. Vanessa Toulmin’s stories and reflections, Hanna Siemaszko’s podcast wisdom, and Isabelle Voegeli’s thoughtful facilitation at C²DH. Thanks also the MediaLab at the University of Luxembourg.

Publication on social media

This fifteen-minute oral history, produced by the Centre for Contemporary and Digital History (C²DH), features a conversation between Dr. Vanessa Toulmin, Professor at the University of Sheffield and founder of the National Fairground and Circus Archive, and host Véronique Faber, PhD student on the Popkult60 project

Together, they explore the tradition of “barking” or “telling the tale”—the vocal performance that invites visitors into the fairground experience. Drawing from historical research and personal memories as someone from a showpeople family, Dr. Toulmin reflects on how this practice continues to evolve through changing technologies and music. The episode closes with a story about the Crazy Cinematograph, a traveling cinema at Luxembourg’s Schueberfouer.

🎙️ With thanks to:

• Dr. Vanessa Toulmin for sharing her stories and insights
• Hanna Siemaszko for podcast expertise and support
• Isabelle Voegeli for facilitating this podcast at C²DH
• MediaLab, University of Luxembourg

Thanks for listening! Follow us on Linkedin and on Instagram or find us on Facebook.

Le 9 mai, aujourd’hui "Journée de l’Europe", rappelle les débuts de l’Europe communautaire. Lorsque Robert Schuman, à l’époque ministre français des Affaires étrangères, propose le 9 mai 1950 la mise en commun de la production du charbon et de l’acier sous une haute autorité supranational, le projet n’est pas acquis d’office. La genèse de la déclaration Schuman est racontée à travers les hommes de l’entourage de Schuman et de leurs actions. Ce podcast met en lumière les derniers jours, voire les dernières heures avant que Robert Schuman ne s’adresse dans sa fameuse conférence de presse le soir du 9 mai 1950 aux Européens.

---

Dans cet épisode, nous avons utilisé, entre autres, les sons suivants :
- pouchard.wav by schafferdavid -- https://freesound.org/s/162132/ -- License : Attribution 4.0
- The_Star-Spangled_Banner - Composition : John Stafford Smith Exécution : U.S. Army 1st Armored Division Band, Domaine public, via Wikimedia Commons

Thanks for listening! Follow us on Linkedin and on Instagram or find us on Facebook.

Camilla Portesani – On participatory public history, working with museums, and writing a thesis along the way

In our fourth episode, we are joined by Camilla Portesani, a doctoral candidate working on the PHACS Project (Public History as the new Citizen Science of the Past) since 2021. As part of her PhD, Camilla launched the Participatory Public History Lab, a pilot project developed in collaboration with the House of European History in Brussels. Her work has meant working across departments, institutions, and mindsets, navigating the complex realities of collaborative frameworks in large cultural institutions, all while bringing together a group of students-turned-co-curators.

Tune in as Camilla shares her reflections on the project, what it’s like to collaborate with major institutions, the skills she had to develop along the way, and the juggling act of doing hands-on work while writing a PhD thesis.

Thanks for listening! Follow us on Linkedin and on Instagram or find us on Facebook.