HA Conference, Bristol 2022

It really happened!

In May 2019 as we departed from Chester, the HA team said 'we’ll see you in Bristol'. Then Covid hit and we didn’t see you in Bristol in 2020 or 2021, but in 2022 we did! We were finally back in person having a conference and it was marvellous.

Of course, Covid conditions have left their mark. For the first time the annual event went hybrid with some sessions accessible remotely so that participants could remain at home, in school or wherever they were and yet still attend sessions. Not all of the sessions could be accessed in this way but enough of them including the keynotes to ensure that remote attendance was still something to be enjoyed and valued. But, what remote couldn’t give you was the absolute buzz of being at a live conference and making new friends or meeting up with old ones.

The in-person part of the conference was sold out in April as people saw the opportunity to attend first-class history lectures, CPD and engagement sessions all in one place. From the start of people arriving at Bristol there were shrieks of delight at something as simple as picking up an HA bag and grabbing a lanyard, but it was as the sessions got under way that people really remembered why HA annual conference was important.

It is the only place that leading experts from academic institutions present alongside teacher leaders, ensuring that anyone who is interested in history or works in the history and heritage community has something to attend throughout the two days. There were talks on SOEs, Black History, the Middle East and the history of education.

Those joining remotely were able to ask questions as well as listen in and all participants could pick between interactive sessions or just sit back and listen to sessions. Trips around Bristol included small museums and heritage walks. It was impossible to be bored or not inspired for longer than five minutes.

Next year there won’t be the “it’s so long since we have done this” factor, but somehow we can’t imagine that conference will be any less exciting – after all now we really know how much events like this matter, and we really do value how important education and learning is for all of us.

HA Conference 2023 will be in Liverpool, once again combining lectures, talks, visits and CPD for teachers, educators, those working in heritage and anyone with a general interest in history. We will also continue with the hybrid remote element to the conference. Register your interest by contacting conference@history.org.uk. 

Recorded sessions for those who registered for the conference will be available from Monday 30 May 2022 until Friday 29 July 2022.