Today marks the launch of Shift Collective: a spin off from Shift focusing on social justice in cultural memory, based in the US. This new initiative will develop inclusive cultural memory experiences that give voice to unheard narratives and perspectives, in order to support social, cultural and resource equity.

The founding members of Shift Collective are Bergis Jules, Jon Voss and Lynette Johnson, who were previously members of Shift’s US team. Shift Collective’s work will continue to grow these members’ hefty expertise and experience in power and ownership of cultural narratives. Shift Collective will offer strategic planning, design, and field building to support cultural institutions, funders, and community organizations. It will be headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana.

In a statement about the launch, Monique Davis, Board Chair of Shift Collective said, “Shift Collective’s practice of centering community voices as the primary holder of cultural memory is in fact a revolutionary thought that is in opposition to the hierarchical, white supremacist systems present in many of our cultural memory institutions. We are uniquely positioned to help libraries, archives and museums connect with their communities, and build relationships based on mutual respect and reciprocity.”

Historypin, Shift’s flagship cultural memory project, will now be housed by Shift Collective. The team recently received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to redesign the Historypin website for collaborative use by cultural memory organizations, digital humanities scholars, and history enthusiasts ahead of the ten year anniversary of its launch in 2021.