MASTERCLASS - Susannah Radstone (Melb and Syd; Nov 2007)

The ARC Cultural Research Network Cultural Histories and Geographies Node presents:

'Memory/Nation/Culture'

a travelling masterclass with Dr Susannah Radstone

venue: University of Melbourne, VIC
date: Friday 16th November, 2007
time: 9am-5pm

AND

venue: University of Technology,Sydney
date: Friday 23rdNovember, 2007
time: 9am-5pm

How do film, literature and other media 'remember' national pasts? Over the last fifteen years or so, theories of cultural memory and trauma have had a profound impact across the humanities, encouraging researchers at all levels to approach novels, films and television as 'memory media'. The same period has witnessed the production of a wide range of films, novels and other art forms whose concerns are with recent - and not so recent - national pasts, including W G Sebald's Austerlitz and Kate Grenville's The Secret River, and the films Amistad and Rabbit Proof Fence. Such texts have become the primary sources for many studies of cultural, literary and film memory. But how do theories of trauma and cultural memory help us to engage with national literatures and cinemas and what are the most useful methods for the analysis of memory media?

what is it? We are seeking applications from postgraduates and early career researchers whose work relates to the general theme, 'Memory/Nation/Culture'. The masterclass will follow a 'workshop' format, which will give postgraduate students the opportunity to present and discuss some their own research. Places in each intensive masterclass will be limited.

how much does it cost? The masterclasses are free of charge to successful applicants and include lunch and morning/afternoon teas. Participants from interstate may be eligible for travel and accommodation subsidies.

how do I apply? Applications are due by Friday 12th October, 2007 and must include a completed application form, downloadable from the CRN website at
http://www.uq.edu.au/crn/projects/masterclass.html.
Please include a short (max 300 words) description of your research including information about your primary texts and chosen research methods.

Applications and queries should be submitted via email, to Kelly Butler at k.butler1@pgrad.unimelb.edu.au

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Susannah Radstone's current research interests are in cultural memory at the interface between the psyche, history and culture. Publications include The Sexual Politics of Time: Confession, Nostalgia, Memory (forthcoming December 2007); Memory and Methodology (2000) and The Politics of Memory: Contested Pasts (2005). She teaches in the School of Social Sciences, Media and Cultural Studies at the University of East
London and is currently senior visiting fellow at the Australian Centre, University of Melbourne.