Difficult Histories, Difficult Legacies: How to Teach and Talk About Slavery [Workshop]
July 6, 2026
Session 2
06 Ju1 – 10 Jul 2026,
Information
Join us for the second of two stand-alone, week-long teacher training workshops. Difficult Histories, Difficult Legacies: How to Teach and Talk about Slavery is an annual workshop hosted at the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon.
“These theoretical-practical courses aim to train teachers, museum mediators, and other educational professionals to address difficult histories, such as the transatlantic trade in enslaved people.
Focusing on historical elements that contextualize Portugal’s role in the trade of enslaved people, these courses highlight the important legacies of this trade. Over the course of a week, experts from diverse fields will challenge traditional perspectives and dispel enduring myths about Portugal’s role in the slave trade.
The program will draw on international experiences in curriculum renewal and introduce innovative teaching methods, such as incorporating personal narratives into classroom practice. Participants will also examine colonial museums and collections, exploring how cultural spaces can enrich educational approaches.
The course features debates, hands-on activities, museum visits, and public lectures led by renowned researchers. For certification, each participant will design a project tailored to their own school or educational setting.
More than a training program, this course offers an opportunity to rethink how history is taught, confront Eurocentric narratives, and experiment with new ways of engaging students.
This course is supported by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Slave Wrecks Project, in collaboration with the National Museum of Natural History and the Science of the University of Lisbon.
This course is accredited through the Centro de Formação Prof. João Soares.” – Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation