Extraordinary stories from ordinary Londoners: 
‘Hear, Here’ officially launches 

Western University public history students, researchers and the City of London Culture Office are pleased to officially launch the community auditory tour, called ‘Hear, Here’ on Saturday.

Three London neighbourhoods — South of Horton (SoHo), Great Talbot and The Village — all have orange street-level ‘Hear, Here’ signs indicating where a story is located. With a mobile phone, participants simply dial the phone number on the sign and can access a first-person account of the history where they stand.

“‘Hear, Here’ signs are now up. We hope Londoners will tap into the do-it-yourself audio tours and listen stories from unexpected sources as an opportunity for education and a change of historical perspective,” says Michelle Hamilton, director Western’s Public History program.

Media are invited to attend the official launch of this storytelling event in the SoHo neighborhood of London and stay for a tour. There are interview opportunities with program designer Mark Tovey, Western professors Michelle Hamilton and Ariel Beaujot – a native Londoner, who spearheaded the original initiative in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

What: Hear, Here. London Launch

When: Saturday, April 27, 2019 from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Where: Goodwill Industries – 255 Horton Street East, London, Ontario.

Timing: 1:00 p.m. – Opening remarks;
 1:30 p.m. – Tours leave every 15 mins until 4:00 p.m.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jo Ann Johnston, Community Relations, Western University, 519-661-2111 x80504, or on mobile at 519-860-3120 and joann.johnston@uwo.ca @JoRoJohnston

ABOUT Hear, Here.


Hear, Here London developed from a partnership between Western University and the Cultural Office at the City of London in 2018. The goal was to recreate a similar project to Hear, Here La Crosse which launched in La Crosse, Wisconsin in 2015. Mark Tovey, a postdoctoral fellow at Western, designed Hear, Here projects for The Village and the Great Talbot communities. Following his lead, Public History graduate students began to gather stories from the South of Horton (SoHo) neighbourhood. www.hearherelondon.org

ABOUT WESTERN


Western University delivers an academic experience second to none. Since 1878, The Western Experience has combined academic excellence with life-long opportunities for intellectual, social and cultural growth in order to better serve our communities. Our research excellence expands knowledge and drives discovery with real-world application. Western attracts individuals with a broad worldview, seeking to study, influence and lead in the international community.