Hosting interns for a three-month period in the summer to work closely with our collections.
In the fall of 2022, Shubra’s Archive launched its first in call with the institution, focusing on archival collections but from diverse and varied perspectives. The available sections for participation included visual arts, oral history, archiving and cataloging, social media, translation, and ethnographic research.
This training round served as a pilot program to explore the multiple dimensions of the concept of community archiving and its resonance across different fields. Consequently, it became the foundation for the subsequent summer internships on community archiving.
Community Archiving Summer Internship (2024) brought together seven participants from diverse academic backgrounds, all within the social sciences and humanities. Over three months, the interns worked on developing metadata for special collections documenting: families residing in the Shubra neighborhood and surrounding areas, Armenian refugees and migrants, and Coptic publications (books and magazines) produced and printed by Coptic churches, organizations, and bookshops.
This hands-on experience not only introduced participants to community-based archival practices but also deepened their understanding of local histories. By the internship’s conclusion, several participants produced reflective writings inspired by their engagement with the archival collections, illuminating both personal and collective connections to community archives.
Community Archiving Summer Internship (2025)