Good Girl, Gone Bad...

Our celebrity edition poster!

Good Hair, Bad Hair: Elizabeth Robles presents this Thurs 1pm Grad. School

In a change to our usual offering, the coming week's presentation will take place on Thursday, 1-2pm (Ground Floor Seminar Room, Graduate School, 7 Woodland Road). Elizabeth Robles presents on:


'good' hair, 'bad' hair

In this paper, I aim to explore the role of hair and hairstyling in roti moti s 1995 multimedia performance project entitled Wigs of Wonderment and Sonia Boyce s work from the same year, Black Female Hairstyles. I will engage these works to begin unpacking the discourse of  good  versus  bad  hair and assert that hair is a potent site for the negotiation, inversion and subversion of fixed notions of race, gender, the authentic 'then' and the postmodern 'now', and the mainstream and the marginal.

Download the poster: JPEG (large) or PDF

Call for presenters - upcoming slots available

We are always eager to hear from students looking to present at the Arts PG Forum. There are still a few spots left for this term, and more opportunity for next term. Get in touch with one of our organisers soon!

Wendy Sijnesael, haxws@bristol.ac.uk  |  Aisling Tierney, aislingtierney@gmail.com

Download the poster here: JPEG

Stephanie Codsi, 'Enthusiasm in Blake' Fri. 25 Nov.

We are all looking forward to Stephanie Codsi's forthcoming paper Enthusiasm in Blake:

 Download: PDF or JPEG

Stephanie Codsi (Department of English

Speaker Report - Rachel Stenner

A big thank you to Rachel Stenner for her fantastic presentation on Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida, and being an 'Eternal Reader'.

Rachel Stenner, engaging with her presentation material.

To help orientate us, Rachel created the atmosphere of the crowded theaters, brimming with rogues and the common folk. Contrasted with this wild world, that of the quiet reader was shown - leading us to see how texts can be appreciated in different ways by different readers. Throughout the presentation, Rachel used a number of approaches to engage the audience: PowerPoint; a handout; and various quotes. With perfect clarity, poise, eloquence and timing, the presentation was definitely a treat for everyone present.

Rachel Stenner on Shakespeare’s play, Troilus and Cressida

The weeks are really flying by and it's amazing to think we are already onto our third speaker, Rachel Stenner. This Friday, 18th November, Rachel will speak about:

‘Becoming the “Eternal Reader”?: Moving Troilus and Cressida From Stage to Page’

In this paper I shall consider the presentation of the performed and printed versions of Shakespeare’s play, Troilus and Cressida, especially through the paratexts of the earliest printed version.  This volume emerged in 1609, during a crucial transition in the development of English dramatic authorship, when authors were becoming professionals who newly wrote for publication as well as performance.  The 1609 Troilus and Cressida has been characterised as a text for readers that not only rejects its theatrical provenance, but stigmatises the supposedly lowbrow theatrical audience.  In a revision of previous arguments about this paratext, this paper suggests that the position of the reader is violently troubled and indeed implicated in the multitudinous audience that it apparently strives to leave behind.  As it imagines its future reader, the book of the play is embroiled in its own past.      

 Download the PDF or JPEG.

Rachel Stenner is in the first year of her MLitt on the subject of paratexts in early modern literature.  Before starting this research she completed a Masters in English here at the University of Bristol, and prior to that a Masters in Postcolonial Studies and a BA in English at the University of Kent.  Rachel is a regular contributor to the Routledge Annotated Bibliography of English Studies, edits articles for the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy and writes for the Bristol Review of Books.  

2nd speaker report - Tamzin Simmons

A massive thanks to our Friday speaker Tamzin Simmons for her in-depth paper on Exile Prophecies in Dante's Inferno.

Tamzin Simmons, speaking at the Arts PG Forum

Tamzin certainly impressed us with her thorough grasp of the material, which was well-paced and enlightening. The range of questions that followed her paper demonstrated how engaging the topic was!

Organiser Wendy, top right, and other attendees.

1st paper report - Steven Lovatt

Last Friday, Steven Lovatt took the unusual step to look back on some of his past work, reread his previous dissertation and share his findings with the group. A confident speaker, Steven's enthusiasm for the subject was palpable and his musings explored the topic of Jewish artists' representations of the Russian landscape.

His review was infused with a range of atmospheric tools. To start with, the group was treated to some rustic music clips. Then a handout was provided, full of quotes that conjured up images of peasant life in Russia. Along with the PowerPoint images, we were able to visualise Steven's vision of Jewish artists and their struggles. 

While time constraints forced him to skip some fascinating material, we never felt rushed and were left asking for more! This groundbreaking research showcased some largely forgotten artists who clearly deserve the attention afforded them at this session.

This Friday's paper explores Dante's Inferno!

We are very much looking forward to Tamzin Simmons' presentation this Friday, 4.10pm, (Dept. of Archaeology) 43 Woodland Road. 


Individuals and Public Life: an Exploration of the Exile Prophecies of Dante's Inferno
I will provide a short overview of the political situation in Florence in Dante's time and talk briefly about his political ideas in the context of his other works before going on to consider three episodes in the Inferno where Dante's exile is foretold and examine the view of the relationship between individual and society that is presented in them.

Download the event poster here:
BEST: PDF

JPEG (high res)

JPEG (low res)

About the speaker:

Tamzin Simmons BA (Hons) French and Italian, University of Leeds. MA by Research in Modern Languages and Cultures (Italian), University of Leeds. 2nd Year PhD in Italian: "Rectitude, Revelation and Truth in the Christology of Dante's 'Commedia'."

New Resources section - now live

Check out Darrelyn Gunzburg's PDF file on presentation skills, available to download  from our new Resources section.
PDF: Darrelyn Gunzburg  

Download our newest poster

Feel free to download and share our updated poster.

PhD Movie at the Student's Union

Many seasoned PhD students will be well aware of the hilarious comic strip PhD Comics. The Student's Union are hosting an exclusive premier of its fantastic movie this Wednesday.

Follow the challenging life of Academia, Piled Higher and Deeper introduces audiences to the unique and funny culture surrounding four unsuspecting graduate students as they struggle to find a balance between research, teaching and their personal lives, all with large doses of humour and heart.

Join the organisers of the Arts PG Forum at the event, which is showing at the Student's Union Winston Theatre. Followed by a drinks reception hosted by the PG Senate Reps. Tickets £5 (+50p transaction fee, waived if purchased at Wicked Coffee on the ground floor or the Info Point on Tyndall Ave.)

Find out more here: http://www.ubu.org.uk/ents/event/163

Our first paper, presented this Friday

We are very excited to announce our first paper will be presented by Steven Lovatt, this Friday:

Strangers in a strange land? Jewish representations of the Russian landscape, 1860-1940

In this paper I shall discuss the representation of the Russian landscape in the work of Jewish painters and writers active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. After introducing some of the general theoretical and contextual issues that bear upon my subject, I shall move on to a more detailed consideration of particular works. Although my discussion will be wide ranging and not confined to problems of cultural and national identity, my focus throughout will be the question of the extent to which distinctively Jewish perceptions of the Russian landscape (if such existed) might be considered compatible with a contemporary Russian discourse of national-spiritual uniqueness that placed special emphasis upon the native terrain of the ‘motherland’.

Steven Lovatt has a BA in Russian Studies from the University of Leeds and a Masters degree in the same subject from the University of Bristol. He has just begun an MLitt in the Department of Philosophy at Bristol that will examine the role of irony in the works of Fiodor Dostoevskii and SÆren Kierkegaard. Steven also contributes articles and reviews on the English-language literature of Wales to Welsh literary publications.

Friday 4 November, 4.10 pm; Lecture Theatre One (LT1), Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, 43Woodland Road. 

Report: workshop success!

The organisers would like to thank Darrelyn Gunzburg for providing us with a thoroughly engaging workshop on Presentation Skills!

Speaker Darrelyn Gunzburg chats with one of the evening's attendees 

Twenty students from across the board – MA’s, MPhil’s and PhD candidates from a range of departments – attended this session and the flood of questions near the end was telling!

We feel it really set the tone for the forum: presenting your ideas is potentially a rewarding and even fun experience, but it takes a lot of practice...

Find out what's going on next Friday here!

Inaugural Session Details

You are hereby warmly invited to the inaugural session of the Arts Postgraduate Forum! We were delighted that students from across all Faculties showed an interest at the PG Reception at the MShed museum.

http://www.facebook.com/ArtsPGForum

http://artspgforum.blogspot.com/2011/10/mshed-event-report.html

Darrelyn Gunzburg, PhD candidate and theatre director, will offer invaluable advice on Presentation Skills.

Date & Time: Friday 28 October, 4.10-5.40

Venue: LT1 (Lecture Theatre 1) at 43 Woodland Road. This is the Archaeology & Anthropology Department: 

View Larger Map 

We welcome proposals from PG students outside the Faculty of Arts; if you would like to discuss your ideas, please get in touch!

Best wishes from the organising committee,

Wendy Sijnesael (haxws@bristol.ac.uk); Aisling Tierney (aislingtierney@gmail.com); Ben Earley (B.E.Earley@bristol.ac.uk)

MShed event report

What a fantastic evening! The MShed is an incredible venue and proved popular as ever last night. Hundreds of new PG students showed up for the PG Reception event. First, we were treated to a walk around the exhibit halls, then upstairs for free drinks. the Student's Union were present in full force and gave a series of talks. All evening, the sound of jazz filled the air thanks to the live band.

The room was packed for the series of welcome talks.

The Arts PG Forum's Wendy Sijnesael shares details of this year's plans.

The spectacular night-time view of Bristol from the MShed.

We were really happy to hear that students from across all faculties were interested in getting involved. Don't forget to attend our first event 4pm 28th Oct. to get some tips on presentation skills! (The venue will be confirmed soon - check back here or on Facebook for updates)

PG Reception event, Friday 14th October, 7.30pm

Come visit the team behind the Arts PG Forum at Friday's University of Bristol PG Reception, 7.30pm at the MShed, Bristol.

PG Reception: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=202664416466628
MShed Bristol: http://mshed.org/

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Even more opportunities - Forum open to all PG students

To further facilitate interdisciplinary research, PG students from other Faculties are also invited to present at the Faculty of Arts PG Forum.

Get in touch with one of the organisers to share your ideas for a paper!

Launch Poster

Our launch poster is now available for download:

• Arts PG Forum Launch Poster

Session on Presentation Skills, Friday 28 October 2011; 4.10-5.40 pm

We will be kicking things off on Friday 28 October with a Session on Presentation Skills by our fellow PG student Darrelyn Gunzburg!

Preparing for, introducing and presenting your work in research seminars is part of the requirements of taught MA and PGR work but no-one ever tells you what to do about the associated anxiety. 

Furthermore unless someone is kind enough to give you feedback, there appears to be no way towards improving such situations and terror can build disproportionately. 

The value of the experience thus disappears in a sea of froth and dread, rather than building pride in your work and learning to communicate your ideas.

Darrelyn Gunzburg (hadrg@bristol.ac.uk), PhD candidate History of Art, trained as a theatre director at NIDA in Australia and is also an experienced presenter. In this seminar she offers techniques on how to tame apprehension, focus on the task at hand and enjoy the experience.

Friday 28 October 2011; 4.10-5.40 pm; room TBC

Remember to contact the organisers if you would like to present a paper this term.

What is the Faculty of Arts PG Forum all about?

The format is simple: we will gather in a lecture room every Friday at 4pm for a presentation by a PG student and afterwards we will head for the pub.


Benefits
Speakers benefit from feedback on their research and presentation style from fellow students from across the Faculty and the rest of us can get inspired by the diversity of work carried out at PG level! 
The social provides the opportunity for informal feedback and for extending your network.


Call for papers
If you would like to present, please let us know. This could be a 20 minute paper, but we can accommodate any other format - a 50 minute lecture, joint presentation, discussion, etc.
Obviously, this is a great opportunity to practice a conference paper or departmental talk, but it is meant to be work-in-progress.


MA Students
We also welcome proposals from MA students and encourage you to attend, especially if you're interested in doing a research degree!


School of Modern Languages
We are looking for someone from the School of Modern Languages to join our committee, so if you're interested to be involved in shaping this initiative, do get in touch!