Reimagining the Gothic: 2016 Symposium and Showcase (registration and Information)

The Reimagining the Gothic Project, with the generous support of the International Gothic Association and the University of Sheffield Arts and Humanities PGR Forum, is pleased to announce that is has selected and confirmed it's speakers for the Reimagining the Gothic symposium event, taking place May 6th, 2016.!

We received so many wonderful and interesting abstracts and would like to thank everyone who contributed! While we could not accept everyone’s abstracts due to the high volume of submissions and the event’s time constraints, we were hugely impressed by the range and quality of the submissions. We would like to take the opportunity to invite everyone, whether your abstract was accepted or not, to attend either / both the symposium and showcase, and to contact us if you would like to be involved in the organization and promotion of the event.

Those interested in attending the symposium should fill out a registration form, downloadable as a PDF file here: REGISTRATION FORM

There are a limited number of seats available for the symposium so the numbers will be capped and attendance will be moderated on a first come, first serve basis. Please do not delay! Email your completed registration form to reimagininggoth15@gmail.com today!

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We are also pleased to announce that the official 'Reimagining the Gothic' website has now gone live! This site promotes past Reimagining the Gothic projects and offers participants to share and engage with interdisciplinary and creative Gothic studies online.  

Check it out today at: https://reimagininggothic.wordpress.com/

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We are also pleased to announce that this years ‘Reimagining the Gothic’ event will conclude with a wine reception and a public lecture given by Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes, a Senior Lecturer in English Literature and Film at Manchester Metropolitan University and a member of the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies. His books on Gothic and Horror film and fiction include Body Gothic: Corporeal Transgression in Contemporary Literature and Horror Film (UWP, 2014), Digital Horror: Haunted Technologies, Network Panic and the Found Footage Phenomenon (co-edited with Linnie Blake; I.B. Tauris, 2015), Horror Film and Affect: Towards a Corporeal Model of Viewership (Routledge, 2016) and Horror: A Literary History (editor; British Library, 2016). Xavier is also the editor of UWP’s Horror Studies book series.  

Dr. Reyes' paper is entitled: Rethinking the Monstrous-Feminine: The (Un)Gendered Body of Abjection. 

ABSTRACT: Rethinking the Monstrous-Feminine: The (Un)Gendered Body of Abjection

This talk takes issue with gendered approaches to abjection that have put the body of ‘woman’, especially that of the mother, at the heart of the moment of monstrous repulsion. Focusing on the work of Barbara Creed, who borrows from Kristeva, I make a distinction between representational monstrosity and its cinematographic presentation. Arguing for the need to separate thematic concerns (the teenage female body in Ginger Snaps) from affective and emotional dispositional states (the way the werewolf body actually scares), I also argue for the potential dangers of their conflation. Like well-known ‘repressive’ approaches to sexual identity (vampirism as metaphor for homosexual desire, for example), these models run the risk of misreading (un)gendered monstrosity as the perpetuation of repulsive models of femininity and female corporeality.

In order to make room for a destigmatising rethinking of the monstrous-feminine, then, I propose that we also rethink our position as regards abjection. Reading it less as an effect of deep psychology and more as a body-based form of fearful disgust, I argue that abjection is more readily connected to our corporeal vulnerability. Monstrous abjection indicates less the abstract contamination or cross-pollination of boundaries than it does the brutal reality of a direct object of threat.

*This talk is a public lecture and therefore open to all. Venue details will be posted along with the Symposium and Showcase Schedule at a later date.*

‘Monsters and Monstrosities’: The FAQ

What is Reimagining the Gothic?

Reimagining the Gothic is project created and hosted by Sheffield Gothic, a postgraduate collective at the University of Sheffield. Now in its second year, Reimagining the Gothic is an ongoing project that aims to take the Gothic outside of its academic ‘comfort zone’ and encourage new thoughts, theories and engagement through creative and interdisciplinary methods.


When will it take place?

The academic symposium will take place on Friday the 6th of May and the creative showcase on Saturday the 7th of May.


Where will it take place?

The University of Sheffield. The symposium will take place in the Portobello Centre, and the showcase in the Humanities Research Institute.

 

Academic Symposium, Friday May 6th 9am-6pm

We've had a number of excellent submissions for our symposium, which has been extended this year to a full day event. There is no cost to register, and we welcome academics of all levels to attend. If you'd like to join us, fill in our registration form and return it to: reimagininggoth15@gmail.com before Wednesday May 4th.


Creative Showcase, Saturday May 7th 10am-6.30pm

Our creative showcase is open to academics, members of the public: to any and all who are interested or intrigued! The event will run all day, exhibiting creative projects - photography, SFX, creative writing- dedicated to exploring notions of monsters, monstrousness and monstrosity.


Lil' Monsters, full of children's activities (and prizes to be won!) will take place from 10am till 12noon. A series of short talks, drama, interactive, and visual projects taking place throughout the afternoon alongside out static displays. Visitors are welcome to come along at any time - please see our schedule for more information.


Who can attend?

The academic symposium is open to academics of all levels of study, from undergraduate to post doctorate. If you would like to attend, please and download a registration form (above) and email it to reimagininggoth15@gmail.com.

Our creative showcase is open to any and all who are interested or intrigued! The event will run all day, exhibiting creative projects dedicated to exploring notions of monsters, monstrousness and monstrosity. In addition, we will be hosting a charity nail bar, children’s activities in the morning and a series of short talks, interactive and visual projects taking place during the afternoon. Sheffield Gothic is excited to announce that day will be closed with a keynote speech from Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes, followed by a wine reception. Keep an eye on our blog and twitter (@SheffieldGothic and @TheReimagining) for updates.


Is there a cost?

No! Both the academic symposium and the creative showcase are free of charge.

'Reimagining the Gothic' was made possible through the generous support of the following groups and institutions: