11-14 November 2020, Online

What a digital whirl it all was, and just like the face-to-face conference it seemed to be over as soon as it had started. Despite the change in format, this year’s conference was as always a mix of historical content, pedagogical development and research discussion. Topics ranged from the history of the Middle East and Black British activism to medieval church history.

All the workshops and most of the general lectures were recorded in advance so that delegates could watch the content in their own time and at their convenience. This has meant that for the first time ever delegates have been able to attend and enjoy every session on offer.

However, we didn’t want just a recorded conference – where would the fun be in that? The keynote lectures were live with Q&As, and most importantly we were pleased to be able to run a programme of live Q&A sessions for the workshops in the general, secondary and primary strands, plus a special live session with the exam boards. The excitement continued on the Friday evening with a history pub quiz, and our congratulations go to 'Team Contentious' for their victory.

All of this created a real buzz - and not just because of digital microphone feedback. The opportunity to discuss historical ideas and teaching approaches with one another even on screen was a much-needed experience. Being able to bounce between different workshops rather than just have a standalone CPD session was something really valued by those that took part.

Listening to new speakers as well as old favourites and having the opportunity to hear something new are all part of what makes HA conference special. Bringing general interest enthusiasts together with academic historians and teachers of many different backgrounds is what makes our conference unique. And as much as possible we tried to reproduce that this year even in a rather unusual way. 

For the HA team it was a different type of conference but we are so pleased we were able to do it, and so far, the feedback seems to agree with us. Who knows what 2021 holds, but we do know that the HA will be here to help and provide as many of our regular unique experiences as possible (we know that is an oxymoron – but we think you know what we mean)!

As always, a big thank you to our sponsors and supporters, and all our amazing presenters who gave their time and expertise for free to make the HA conference happen.

Don’t forget the recorded sessions are available for all previously booked delegates at www.haconference.com and will now be available until Monday 4 January.