Media Tactics
Reenacting Histories: A Talk by Dr. Sara Diamond
Docu-fiction, the Work of the Women’s Labour History Project, and Diamond’s Video Art
VIVO Media Arts Centre
October 12, 2018
In the 1980s and 1990s performance, re-enactment, the melange of fiction and documentary, and “bad acting” were tactics used by video artists to unsettle notions of documentary realism, provide alternate readings of histories, elicit or manifest subjective interpretations of events, or provide a feminist sense of time. The work of Sara Diamond and the early work of the Women’s Labour History Project used these tactics, which were drawn from film theory, feminist criticism and documentary practice. Sara Diamond discussed these roots and drew from her works of personal documentary/autobiographical narratives and early docu-fiction.
ISEA 2015 Keynote | Sara Diamond
Action Agenda: Vancouver’s Prescient Media Arts
SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts
August 17, 2015
“Sara Diamond, President of OCAD University and SFU alumna, presents the keynote at the International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA) in partnership with SFU Galleries. In response to the symposium’s theme of “disruption,” Diamond reflects on how rhythms of social, aesthetic and technological disruption influenced early video and media production in Vancouver.”
LINK TO VIDEO [Courtesy of Simon Fraser University, SFU Galleries]
Women and Labour
As Instructor in Labour Studies [1983-1990]
In 1982-1983, Diamond was a part-time instructor at Kwantlen College Continuing Education, Labour Studies Curriculum. From 1983-1990, she was a part-time instructor at Capilano College in the Labour Studies Programme. Courses included culture and labour studies; working women’s history in British Columbia; Canadian and British Columbian labour history.
At Capilano Diamond developed and implemented the Media Resources for Labour programme. She used the College’s studio and production equipment and faculty personnel to develop educational and promotional videos and films for labour organizations. Work included instructing trade union members in the use of media. Diamond also developed a film series for union audiences and was a consultant for use of media in educational programming. Screenings series included A Celebration of Women and Work (film series) and Green Hills Mining Association (film and video series) for public education.
The following are lectures by Diamond given as an instructor or during the early 1980s on the theme of women and labour history.
Title: [Women in the workforce during WWII]
Creator: Diamond, Sara
Contributor: Diamond, Sara
Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century
Date Created: c.1980s
Type: Audio Recording
Genre: Lecture
Extent: 1 audio cassette
Format: audio/mp3
Language: English
Identifier: SD_439_01
Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds
Series: Women’s Labour History Project
Source: Original Format: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Sara Diamond fonds.
Rights: Videos provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these videos must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
Title: [Women in the workforce during WWII – 2/2]
Creator: Diamond, Sara
Contributor: Diamond, Sara
Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century
Date Created: c.1980s
Type: Audio Recording
Genre: Lecture
Extent: 1 audio cassette
Format: audio/mp3
Language: English
Identifier: SD_439_02
Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds
Series: Women’s Labour History Project
Source: Original Format: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Sara Diamond fonds.
Rights: Videos provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these videos must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
Title: [Conditions for women in the workforce, 1930s – 1/2]
Creator: Diamond, Sara
Contributor: Diamond, Sara
Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century
Date Created: c.1980s
Type: Audio Recording
Genre: Lecture
Extent: 1 audio cassette
Format: audio/mp3
Language: English
Identifier: SD_546_01
Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds
Series: Women’s Labour History Project
Source: Original Format: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Sara Diamond fonds.
Rights: Videos provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these videos must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
Title: [Conditions for women in the workforce, 1930s – 2/2]
Creator: Diamond, Sara
Contributor: Diamond, Sara
Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century
Date Created: c.1980s
Type: Audio Recording
Genre: Lecture
Extent: 1 audio cassette
Format: audio/mp3
Language: English
Identifier: SD_546_02
Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds
Series: Women’s Labour History Project
Source: Original Format: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Sara Diamond fonds.
Rights: Videos provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these videos must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
Description: A post-event recording by Diamond of a talk she gave at the Marxism and Unions Conference.
Title: [Women and Unions: Some Steps Towards A Marxist-Feminist Perspective]
Creator: Diamond, Sara
Contributor: Diamond, Sara
Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century
Date Created: 1983-11-27
Type: Audio Recording
Genre: Lecture
Extent: 1 audio cassette
Format: audio/mp3
Language: English
Identifier: SD_564_01
Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds
Series: Women’s Labour History Project
Source: Original Format: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Sara Diamond fonds.
Rights: Videos provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these videos must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
Title: [IWA Women’s Auxiliaries – 1/2]
Creator: Diamond, Sara
Contributor: Diamond, Sara
Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century
Date Created: c.1983
Type: Audio recording
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 audio cassette
Format: audio/mp3
Language: English
Identifier: SD_WLHP_551_01_side1_01
Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds
Series: Women’s Labour History Project
Source: Original Format: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Sara Diamond fonds.
Rights: Media provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use of this media must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
Title: [IWA Women’s Auxiliaries – 2/2]
Creator: Diamond, Sara
Contributor: Diamond, Sara
Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century
Date Created: c.1983
Type: Audio recording
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 audio cassette
Format: audio/mp3
Language: English
Identifier: SD_WLHP_551_01_side2_01
Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds
Series: Women’s Labour History Project
Source: Original Format: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Sara Diamond fonds.
Rights: Media provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use of this media must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
Community Use of Video: Interactive Uses of the Video Medium
This workshop was recorded at Women In Focus, Vancouver, on September 6 and 7, 1986. Diamond also conducted the workshop at Video Pool, Winnipeg in March 1988; Saw Gallery, Ottawa, June 1986; Gallery 911, Seattle, Washington, March 1986; Centre for Art Tapes, Halifax, November 1985; and A Space/Trinity Square Video, Toronto, Ontario, 1985.
[Note: Tape 2 in this series is missing]
Audio recorded a low level until 08:00.
Title: [Community Use of Video – 1/]
Creator: Diamond, Sara
Contributor: Diamond, Sara
Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century
Date Created: 1986-09-06
Type: Audio recording
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 audio cassette
Format: audio/mp3
Language: English
Identifier: SD_WLHP_020_01_side2_01
Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds
Series: Women’s Labour History Project
Source: Original Format: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Sara Diamond fonds.
Rights: Media provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use of this media must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
Title: [Community Use of Video – 1/]
Creator: Diamond, Sara
Contributor: Diamond, Sara
Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century
Date Created: 1986-09-06
Type: Audio recording
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 audio cassette
Format: audio/mp3
Language: English
Identifier: SD_WLHP_020_01_side2_01
Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds
Series: Women’s Labour History Project
Source: Original Format: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Sara Diamond fonds.
Rights: Media provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use of this media must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
Title: Community Use of Video [Tape 3_Side 1] – 3/6
Creator: Diamond, Sara
Contributor: Diamond, Sara
Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century
Date Created: 1986-09-06 or 1986-09-07
Type: Audio recording
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 audio cassette
Format: audio/mp3
Language: English
Identifier: SD_WLHP_021_01_side1_01
Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds
Series: Women’s Labour History Project
Source: Original Format: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Sara Diamond fonds.
Rights: Media provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use of this media must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
Title: Community Use of Video [Tape 3_Side 2] – 4/6
Creator: Diamond, Sara
Contributor: Diamond, Sara
Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century
Date Created: 1986-09-06
Type: Audio recording
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 audio cassette
Format: audio/mp3
Language: English
Identifier: SD_WLHP_021_01_side2_01
Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds
Series: Women’s Labour History Project
Source: Original Format: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Sara Diamond fonds.
Rights: Media provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use of this media must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
Title: Community Use of Video [Tape 4_Side 1] – 5/6
Creator: Diamond, Sara
Contributor: Diamond, Sara
Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century
Date Created: 1986-09-07
Type: Audio recording
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 audio cassette
Format: audio/mp3
Language: English
Identifier: SD_WLHP_008_01_side1_01
Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds
Series: Women’s Labour History Project
Source: Original Format: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Sara Diamond fonds.
Rights: Media provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use of this media must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
Title: Community Use of Video [Tape 4_Side 2] – 6/6
Creator: Diamond, Sara
Contributor: Diamond, Sara
Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century
Date Created: 1986-09-07
Type: Audio recording
Genre: Documentation
Extent: 1 audio cassette
Format: audio/mp3
Language: English
Identifier: SD_WLHP_008_01_side2_01
Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds
Series: Women’s Labour History Project
Source: Original Format: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Sara Diamond fonds.
Rights: Media provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use of this media must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.
Margaret Benston Lecture
[Sara Diamond class]
Margaret “Maggie” Lowe Benston (1937–1991) was a founding member and professor of the Women’s Studies Program at Simon Fraser University, and a professor of chemistry and computing science. She was a labour activist and one of the founders of Mayworks: A Festival of Labour and the Arts. (1988)
Title: [Lecture: The Automation of Automation – 1/2]
Creator: Margaret Benston
Contributor: Benston, Margaret; Diamond, Sara
Subject: Women–Employment–British Columbia ; Women labor union members–British Columbia ; Women–Employment–British Columbia–History–20th century
Date Created: 1982-07-07
Type: Audio recording
Genre: Lecture
Extent: 1 audio cassette
Format: audio/mp3
Language: English
Identifier: SD_WLHP_553_01
Is Part Of: Sara Diamond fonds
Series: Women’s Labour History Project
Source: Original Format: The VIVO Media Arts Centre. Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives. Sara Diamond fonds.
Rights: Media provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use of this media must be obtained from the Crista Dahl Media Library & Archives.