Research Assistant appointed

We are pleased to announce that we have appointed Dr Rebecca Edwards to the post of Post-Doctoral Research Assistant on the project. Rebecca conducted her doctoral research into the English-language Welsh music scene of the 1990s at the History Department at Swansea University under the supervision of Prof. Chris Williams. She was awarded her PhD in 2008 for her thesis ‘To show from where we came; Cool Cymru, pop and identity in Wales in the 1990s'.

Presentation in Aberystwyth

Heike contributed a short presentation, entitled 'The Gift of the Archive', to the Out of the Box and Dusted Down: Foraging and Findings – A collective event to welcome Honorary Departmental Fellow Barbara Cavanagh and to introduce the International Theatre Collection as an active TFTS resource. The event was organised by Dr Amy Staniforth on behalf of the Centre for Performance Research at Aberystwyth University on 12 May 2009. Some of the papers from this event are published here:
http://cadair.aber.ac.uk/dspace/handle/2160/3284

Conference presentation in Cardiff

Heike presented 'The "What's Welsh for performance?"' archive at a panel on 'Archives as Media of Communication' at the Cyfrwng conference 2009, hosted by the BBC Wales on the 7 and 8 May 2009 in Cardiff. More information on the conference is available here: http://www.cyfrwng.com/e/conference/index.shtml

Discussion Chair in Aberystwyth

Heike chaired a discussion with curator Bruce Haines in Aberystwyth today (28 April 2009). The event was organised by Axis as part of their Café Artistique series in collaboration with Showroom and Aberystwyth Arts Centre. Venue was Y Consti on Aberystwyth's Constitution Hill. Bruce is the curator of the 2009 'Wales at the Venice Biennale' exhibition with John Cale, and Bruce and Heike had worked together in February when Heike interviewed Cale for the exhibition catalogue.
Full documentation of the discussion can be downloaded from: http://www.axisweb.org/atATCL.aspx?AID=2385

Job advert: Post-doc Research Assistant

The project is looking to appoint a full-time AHRC Funded Post-Doctoral Research Assistant at £30,594 - £35,469 per annum for 21 months (Start date: 1 July 2009) - for full job details see:
http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/media/TF.09.02%20Ext.pdf

First phase of the project

The first phase of the research project (1 April - 30 June 2009) will be devoted to:
- planning the project
- selecting interviewees
- locating material
- advertising, interviewing and appointing the Research Assistant
- setting up and / or updating the project's website and database

First-ever documented happening in Wales - led by Tom Hudson at the Barry Summer School, Summer 1965 © Hudson estate

AHRC

'"It was forty years ago today": Locating the early history of performance art in Wales 1965–1979' is funded by an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Research Grant.
Each year the AHRC provides funding from the Government to support research and postgraduate study in the arts and humanities, from archaeology and English literature to design and dance. Only applications of the highest quality and excellence are funded and the range of research supported by this investment of public funds not only provides social and cultural benefits but also contributes to the economic success of the UK. For further information on the AHRC, please see their website www.ahrc.ac.uk.

Project Start

Dr Heike Roms has been awarded a large research grant (worth £165,779) by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). The grant will support a two-year research project, entitled “'It was forty years ago today…': Locating the Early History of Performance Art in Wales 1965-1979”. The project will examine how performance art histories are constructed, paying particular attention to the development of the art form in the context of Wales. It builds on Heike's long-term research into the history of performance art in Wales (www.performance-wales.org).

Start date of the project is today, 1 April 2009.

For more information on the research project visit: 

http://www.performance-wales.org/english/oralhistory/phase2/index.htm 

This blog will track the progress of the project. Please visit regularly for updates.