What in the World is an Ignite Talk?

As a still fairly green masters student I have encountered many MANY things that I have no clue about. How do you search through newspaper archives efficiently? Where is this lecture series being hosted? How am I supposed to read 200 pages for tomorrows class?

The most recent question I have come across is what in the world is an Ignite Talk? This was something I was assigned in my Public History class, and something that I had no idea how to begin. An Ignite Talk is a new phenomenon at conferences and lectures which condenses material, and presents it in a new and innovative way. The presenter is responsible for preparing a presentation with fifteen to twenty slides, that are between fifteen and twenty seconds each. These slides ideally have very little text on them, and are composed of mostly images that emphasise what the speaker is saying. These slides also advance automatically after the designated times, whether the presenter is prepared for it or not, just for the fun of it. If it is done well, an Ignite Talk can be a great way to convey key information in five minutes in a very memorable way. If it is done poorly, an Ignite Talk can be five minutes that feels like fifty.

If anybody is interested in seeing how this is done, check out this video! I did before I wrote my first talk, and it really helped.

I decided to do my first talk on a topic that I know very well, my recent trip to Menorca, Spain where I dug a 3rd c. Roman city for eighteen days. I chose this topic because I was comfortable talking about it, I knew it really well, and I had all my own pictures which made it more personal.

I began with an introduction of where I went, the field school I chose to dig with, the affordability of the experience, and an overview of the site itself.

This was my site! I dug with the Sanisera Archaeological Institute, and worked on uncovering new walls in the Roman City. Sanisera is one of the most affordable field schools I found through my research, and a great place to start if you are new to archaeology! For 18 days of digging, classes, transportation, accommodation and 3 meals a day I paid $750 (USD).






The above information was broken up into about 4 slides. The next phase of my talk was about what exactly I did while I was digging on site, and how my day was broken up. My day started at 6:00 am, and digging on site began around 8:00 am arrival at the site and then there was seemingly endless digging until lunch. After lunch it was either a few more hours of digging, or lab work where I learned how to clean, classify and label pottery and bone. By 3:00pm we were back at the residence, and had free time until we did it all again the next day.

 By that point I was about halfway through my talk. One of the most amazing things I did while on Menorca was participate in a three day crash course in underwater archaeology and diving. I had never been scuba diving before, but it was something that had been on my bucket list. I was also a fear of mine, which I am proud to say I managed to overcome!

 The rest of the Ignite Talk focused more on the process of excavation, some of the things that I found while digging, the people that I met, and my experience on the island. One thing that I struggled with while writing and putting together my talk was the lesson I was trying to teach. What was the point of what I was saying? Did I want to just tell people about my amazing trip, or was there a way to bring in some larger life lesson? What I realized while I was going through my slides is that the larger lesson is that travelling is important, and it can be done fairly simply. Because I went to Spain and dug up a city I learned so much about myself, and about my capabilities. I also learned more about Spanish culture and language, and met people who are now great connections for me even in my life as a masters student.

I began my talk, just excited to share some trip pictures and talk about some things I learned while digging in Menorca. I ended up being able to convey a larger message about why it is important to travel, and push yourself, and how if you have 18 days and some savings it is possible to do it.

I have one more Ignite talk to do in my Public History class. I learned A LOT from my first talk, both through personal experience and feedback, and I am excited to apply those lessons to my next one. Ignite talks are daunting, especially because you really have to know what you are talking about, but I think with practice, they are a great way to engage an audience and convey some important lessons in only about 5 minutes.

For more information on the Sanisera Archaeological Institute and how you can sign up for a dig check out their website! Sanisera Field School