The call is now open for participants to ‘History and Archives in Practice, 2026’ (HAP26), the annual gathering of historians and archivists, jointly hosted by the Royal Historical Society, Institute of Historical Research and The National Archives.

HAP26 take places in partnership with the University Sheffield Library and will be held on Thursday 16 April 2026 at the University of Sheffield.

The theme for HAP26 is ‘Shaping Societies, Improving Lives: the Impact of Archives and Historical Research’. We’ll explore the relationship between collections, researchers, practice and locality to consider how archives have the potential to initiate change through collaboration and co-production.

We now invite proposals for participation, from historians and archivists, working collaboratively, in a range of formats including papers, panels, workshops and roundtables. Further details of History and Archives in Practice 2026, and how to submit a proposal by the closing date of 31 October 2025 are available here.

Possible subjects for contributions include, but are not limited to:

• Building relationships: between archives and researchers, and archives and regions
• Archives, citizenship and the civic good: how do we define, and communicate, the public benefit and public good of archivists’ and historians’ shared use of collections?
• From collaboration to co-production: what might the transition from collaboration to co-production look like?
• How are archival projects seeking social change developed and carried through: what experience can current and recent collaborative projects offer us on the fulfilment of work which seeks measurable social and sector-wide change?
• Campaigning and social change from the archive: in what ways can archival collections, and their interpretation, inform present-day debates and campaigns?
• Assessing, evaluating and measuring change: what are the measures by which we assess the extent and effectiveness of our work?
• Archives and impact beyond the local and regional: in what ways can archives affect change beyond regions and address topics of wider societal and national concern?

As in previous years, HAP26 seeks to offer attendees examples of practice, and the lessons from practitioners, from which we can all benefit. We want to showcase recent and current projects and examples in which archivists and historians effect positive change for a defined community or region.

For HAP26 in particular, we will be drawing on the experiences of our partner, the University of Sheffield Library, as well as other archival collections and projects in the region.