Preparing Effective Arts and Humanities Presentations

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Good presentations in the arts and humanities help the audience to think of the topic in a new way by providing an original interpretation of it. A presentation on the historical significance of Reconstruction after the Civil War of 1861–1865, for example, will be more effective if you offer a new way of viewing the topic rather than reiterating what other people have said or what is already generally accepted knowledge. A debate on two philosophical ideas will be most effective when you assert issues and arguments that are different from those that the audience has thought of before. Because many speaking events in the arts and humanities call for interpretation, the more original the interpretation (while remaining logical and supported by evidence), the more compelling the presentation will be for the audience.