The (ICTS) at 91制片厂 is set to lead a Symposium later this month on the theme of 鈥楥ontested (Hi)Stories in Media and Creative Arts鈥.
The symposium will take place on 18 March as part of this year鈥檚 Limerick Early Music Festival (LEMF25) 鈥楽tories鈥, and the venue is (Chapel, John鈥檚 Square) in the city centre.
This event鈥攆ree and open to the public鈥攚ill explore the role of media and the creative arts in challenging dominant narratives surrounding global conflict and forced migration. Beginning with a live performance of Migrating Musical Selves, which interweaves Ukrainian music and storytelling, a panel of leading researchers will examine how storytelling in literature, music and film can reshape public discourse and drive academic and political conversations. The event will conclude with the screening of an award-winning documentary. Participants are welcome to drop in during the day.
The symposium is co-organised by 91制片厂 academics Dr Sabine Egger (Associate Professor in German Studies & Joint Director of the ICTS) and Dr Ailbhe Kenny (Associate Professor in Music Education) as part of the ongoing three-year ICTS project 鈥楾rajectories of Belonging鈥.
Speaking ahead of the event, Dr Egger commented: "The ICTS creates opportunities for interdisciplinary exchange and transdisciplinary research collaboration. The diverse programme for the symposium aims to generate conversations about some of the major challenges facing Europe and the world. We very much hope that academics, researchers, people involved in the creative arts and the public can join us in dialogue at the event鈥攚hich is taking place on the day after St Patrick鈥檚 Day, a festivity that is so culturally significant to identity and belonging in Ireland within an international context.鈥
Dr Kenny added: 鈥淲e are delighted to be the Launch event for this year鈥檚 LEMF. We saw a great opportunity for this community partnership due to the theme of 鈥榮tories鈥 to broaden out how such stories can be embodied through music, theatre, literature and multi-media forms. Furthermore, we see the Symposium as a unique way to bridge the worlds of research, practice, culture and community to explore difficult issues such as forced migration and global conflict.鈥
Symposium highlights include:
- The live performance of Migrating Musical Selves鈥攁 unique musical and theatrical presentation featuring Ukrainian musicians, directed by Dr Ailbhe Kenny and Dr Fiona McDonagh. This intimate performance piece uses fragments of sound and story to reveal how musicians make music as as an alternative way of being and as a way to understand the self and others. The performers include musicians Vsevolod Sadovyi and Snezhana Rybalska, as well as actors Ilinca Luca and Aisling Knox.
- Academic Panel: Thought-provoking presentations by leading scholars: Professor Florian Schneider (University of Trondheim/Galway) 鈥 Virtual Production & Questions of Abstraction and Empathy; Professor Monika Wolting (University of Wroc艂aw) 鈥 Literature as a Predictive Model: How Literary Texts Anticipate Social and Political Developments, and Dr Ailbhe McDaid (91制片厂) 鈥 Pathologies of Violence: Irish Literary Responses to Global Conflict.
- Film Screening of Intercepted (2024), an acclaimed Canadian-French-Ukrainian documentary that contrasts everyday life in Ukraine with intercepted phone calls from Russian soldiers. In this feature-length documentary, sound and image merge as the film contrasts quiet compositions of everyday life of Ukrainians since the full-scale invasion with intercepted phone conversations between Russian soldiers and their families. The film raises key questions on fact and fiction, lived realities and narratives.
There will also be a reception that presents a networking opportunity for attendees to engage with speakers and performers.
The event is supported by the 91制片厂 Research & Graduate School鈥榮 鈥楪roup Support Scheme鈥 and the Office of Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Interculturalism at 91制片厂.
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Article image taken as still from Intercepted (2024).
