The Orality Centre was formed by a group of passionate educators who see the potential for advances in learning within the research of Orality Centre Founder, Dr Lynne Kelly, into the ancient memory systems from cultures all around the world.
The Doves, an art work in the Oenpelli style by Australian Indigenous artist, Andrew Munakali (1940-1988). Photo: Damian Kelly
Our aim is to research, develop and experiment with memory systems that bridge the divide between the ancient methods of learning and retaining information and the modern digital age that provides an abundance of information. Information that has been stored externally from the human mind, as a direct result of the development of literacy, remains disarticulated from the potential of being applied in creative and innovative ways. In response The Orality Centre hopes to revive the ancient and profoundly effective memory capacities of the human mind, since only retained information can actually be construed as knowledge.
The Orality Centre intends to work within the education sector, from primary schooling through to tertiary level, researching the most appropriate and effective means of applying the memory technologies of the past to the modern education of our children. We want to enrich learning for students of all abilities, including those with special needs, learning difficulties and as an extension for advanced learners. The dream is to deepen their level of engagement and profoundly increase their level of information recall within the context of their schooling and beyond into their daily lives.
Adult learners are also a target for The Orality Centre’s research with the provision of group workshops, individual tuition and targeted memory technologies that are most suited to the interests and fields of study of each individual learner.
We are also interested in reviewing research on the response of those with dementia to music and places from the past, and whether there are formal methods we can employ throughout life to reduce the impact of memory issues with ageing.
From professional development in industries that require a vast amount of memorised information to enthusiastic amateurs who wish to learn more about their area of personal interest or to simply enhance their pre-existing knowledge, the value of memory systems is immense ,
Our research will be conducted in collaboration with our participating students and adult learners alongside our ongoing experimentation with the various memory devices from Indigenous cultures. We will also be devising memory devices here at The Orality Centre.
A memory board based on the Lukasa of the Luba People of west Africa
Our goal is to develop memory technologies that utilise the collective intelligence of us all, thereby harnessing an untapped potential for human creativity and innovation.
I was wanting to know whether the orality techniques could be used to learn a language. My natural memory is poor and hence language acquisition a cause of personal frustration.
Thanks ,
Maree
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Hi Maree,
Learning languages is one of the areas in which memory techniques are used a lot. It is a real weakness of mine, too. I am asked about this so much, I am going to have to try out the methods myself. There is a very active forum about learning languages using the memory methods on mnemotechnics:
http://artofmemory.com/forums/learning-languages
All the best with it!
Lynne
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I saw your flier on the community noticeboard. Due to 2 brain haemhorrages (caused by an AVM) and a subsequent brain operation , I have impaired memory. the 1st bleed in 1979, 2nd bleed in 1988, the operation in 1989. I am 55 yo, so for more than half of my life I have lived with the memory damage. Could your strategies possibly help me? please ring me on 5472 4231. thanks, Matthew Worrall .
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Hi Matthew,
Deputy Director, Paul Allen, and I have been discussing this. He will reply soon. Thank you so much for contacting us.
Lynne
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Hello Paul & Lynne
You have stated your interest in reviewing research on the response of those with dementia to music and places from the past, and whether there are formal methods we can employ throughout life to reduce the impact of memory issues with ageing. This is an area of huge interest to me as a dementia consultant and amateur musician 🙂 I hope to do your August workshop and discuss more. Meanwhile is there somewhere in Castlemaine I can purchase Lynne ‘a book??
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Hello Carolyne,
Thank you for you comment. Your experience working with dementia patients and music sounds fascinating. Can’t wait to meet you and talk about about these issues.
Have you tried Stonemans Bookshop here in Castlemaine? They may well be out, but if you’re lucky you could get your hands on a signed copy.
Regards, Paul Allen
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Hi Lynne
I’m a single parent who is unable to take time away to attend the workshop. Does the realty Centre do podcasts?
I work as a high school teacher with students exhibiting behaviour issues and learning difficulties, a significant number are indigenous. One aspect that has become important to me is exposing indigenous (and non indigenous students) to their culture In the bush. These memory techniques applied to walking through the local bush with the students… its breathtaking thinking what may be accomplished for them this way. The freedom to learn and recall.
Have you suggestions how I might be able to move forward with this at my school?
Thank you for The Memory Code and I look forward to your new book that follows.
Kind Regards
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Hi Peter,
Paul Allen here. No we are not doing any podcasts although there are few we can recommend. Anthony Metivier’s “Magnetic Memory” is a good one that closely aligns with Lynne’s process. Although it has none of the indigenous methods because, until Lynne’s research was published, no-one seemed to realise how incredibly ancient the memory techniques were.
Apart from workshops there is the possibility of coming and working with you at your school. I’m a qualified teacher with current VIT (I work at the Primary level teaching Visual Arts). My colleague Alice Steel worked earlier this year with a school on their camp at Anglesea where she taught the students the techniques to take back to school and use there. Maybe you could talk to the school Principal and see if we could come and do a day, or week onsite? We’re happy to provide any further details at your request.
Otherwise, as a single parent, our workshops are open to kids as well (not sure of the child/ren’s age), but we have been running workshops with kids in their early teens.
Feel free to contact us via email if you are attracted to any ideas or have any further thoughts of your own.
Paul Allen
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