Cold War Politics and the Modern Arts: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Emerging Approaches and Scholarship
Society for Dance Research, in collaboration with University of Roehampton

This two-part research forum will explore key political perspectives on dance and other modern arts during the Cold War, taking a global approach through an in-depth investigation of salient case studies and intersections in the United States, South Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

The day is open to students and researchers of all levels to share emerging ideas and individual research findings with experts in the field. Seminar participants are invited to explore published texts, which will be listed upon registration along with a bibliography.

Schedule:

14:30-16:30 BST: PhD Student Forum: So What is a Tree?: “If a tree Falls in the Archive…”

This session on methodology and theory in interdisciplinary studies will be facilitated by Dr Stacey Prickett, Dr Victoria Thoms and Dr Victoria Phillips, centred around contributions from PhD students. Students are invited to share selected papers/abstracts in advance with the other participants and will have the opportunity to briefly speak to these materials at the Forum (maximum 5 minutes).

PhD students are invited to think about the ways in which the Cold War might have a bearing on their research. In which ways do geopolitics, international relations, national arts policies, philanthropy, and corporate power in the Cold War period intersect with your research?

Applicants should email societydanceresearch@gmail.com with their research idea (maximum 300 words).

It is possible to participate in this PhD Student Forum remotely via an online interactive platform. If you would like to participate online, please select the relevant ticket option (PhD Student Forum only - online remote participation £10).

17:00-19:00 BST: Panel discussion with invited speakers

The invited speakers will briefly illuminate their research and discuss possible synergies or divergences between each other’s work. Then, the discussion will be broadened to include the audience in a Q&A.

Dr Jens Richard Giersdorf
Professor of Dance Studies, Marymount Manhattan College
https://www.mmm.edu/live/profiles/372-jens-richard-giersdorf

Dr Gay Morris
Dance and art critic and historian, Boyer College of Music and Dance, Temple University
http://www.temple.edu/boyer/about/people/GayMorris.asp

Dr Victoria Phillips
LSE-Columbia University Visiting Professor, Department of International History, Columbia University, European Institute, Harriman Institute, Department of History
http://www.lse.ac.uk/International-History/People/fellows-and-visiting-staff/phillips/phillips

This panel discussion will be live streamed to the Society for Dance Research Facebook page.

Image: US Goverment photo featuring dancer Sarah McCloskey in front of a nuclear cloud from atomic testing in Nevada during the 1950s