Futures: A Summer Research Festival, 14-16 June 2021

This year the SWW DTP is putting on its first ever summer research festival, organised and run by DTP students to showcase the work of researchers across the consortium. The theme this year is ‘futures’, and was chosen to reflect a wide range of experiences, concerns and interests across the arts and humanities, as we find ourselves looking ahead after a year of restrictions. The festival will run as an online event over three days, bringing together PhD researchers from a variety of disciplines through workshops, presentations, roundtable discussions and conference papers, to explore the different ways the future is, and has been, conceived and imagined.

Over the three days, we will hear from PhD students across the UK, alongside invited speakers discussing topics as varied as climate change and sustainability, the concept of looking backwards in order to move forward, the potential for positive change when it comes to social mobility or inclusivity, and the benefits of animal intelligence as we seek to develop new technology.

On Monday 14th June we will discuss ‘Equal, Diverse and Inclusive Futures’, with a series of panel presentations from Martin Spafford (Trustee of the UK based charity Journey to Justice), Andrew Ogun (the newly appointed Agent for Change at Arts Council Wales) and Professor Hannah Thompson (Professor of French and Critical Disability Studies at Royal Holloway, University of London). There will also be an interactive workshop on the future of archives, and an event showcasing the work of our Creativity in Research Cluster.

Kate Guest from Historic England will join us on Tuesday 16th June to discuss issues around sustainability and heritage, and we’ll also have a performance event featuring poets from the Obsidian Foundation, reflecting on the future of black poetry.

On Wednesday 17th June we will explore the ‘Future of Museums’, with a presentation from David Anderson, Director of National Museum Wales. Partners from Wales-based digital research consultancy Etic Lab LLP will present their work on developing artificial intelligence coded by an octopus, and provide consultation opportunities for students interested in considering how digital technology might be incorporated into their research.

This is just a glimpse of the full programme, which begins each day with conference paper presentations featuring several SWWDTP students, showcasing their research across a diverse range of themes. There’ll also be opportunities to hear from our Understanding Change Research Cluster and our Memory Studies Research Cluster.

All events are free and can be booked in advance via our website – https://www.sww-ahdtp.ac.uk/research-festival-futures/

The festival is being directed by students Iona Ramsay (University of Exeter) and Rachel Carney (Cardiff University).

The Festival Organising Committee includes: Lucienne Spencer, Berber Van Der Meulen, Emily Wride, Durre Mughal, Nyle Bevan-Clarke, Samuel Young, Mary-Jannet Leith, Sabrin Hasbun and Kerstin Grunwald-Hope.

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