Arts Faculty News

Raad Khair Allah received an IASH Postdoctoral Digital Humanities Fellowship from the University of Edinburgh to work on Contemporary Arab Diasporas: Reimagining Nationhood in Arab Cultural and Digital Feminism, an interdisciplinary digital project that examines the literary and artistic contributions of Syrian and Palestinian women in the Western diaspora since the 1970s to nation-building.

By investigating how women leverage AI tools, such as Canva and Soundtrap, to create art, music, and literature that reflect their unique perspectives, her project highlights the interplay between transnational connections and their distinctive diaspora experience. It shows the relationship between the arts, technology, and society through showcasing how these elements interactively shape and influence nation-making narratives

By combining close readings with AI tools like Voyant Tools and Google Vision, the project reveals patterns and insights in cultural productions that traditional methods may overlook. This project will develop a searchable online database that serves as a comprehensive and accessible resource for researchers, educators, public engagement, and policymakers.

From cult cinema carnage to box office slasher success, the gore genre will enter the mainstream with the world’s first symposium on the Terrifier slasher film franchise, held at The University of Warwick.

Dear Colleagues,

I want to let you know that Diana Stonefield, Faculty of Arts Director of Administration, will be retiring and leaving the University at the end of September 2024. Her last working day will be September 17th.

I know everyone will want to join me in offering Diana our heartfelt thanks for all of the incredible work she has done since she arrived at Warwick in 2016. Diana worked closely with Professor Penny Roberts, our previous Vice-Provost and Chair of Faculty, to bring the FAB project to successful completion and was instrumental in the mammoth task of bringing us into the building. She was also central to bringing the Arts community through the Covid pandemic and other challenges we have encountered over the last few years.

She has been an amazing support to me as I’ve come into this role and I shall miss her collegiality, pragmatic counsel and good humour very much. Please do join me in wishing her the happiest of retirements and sending her our fondest thoughts for the next phase!

With best wishes,

Rachel

Professor Rachel Moseley

Vice Provost and Chair, Faculty of Arts

This Summer Term the DAHL will provide a full programme of exciting opportunities for staff, students, and alumni. No booking necessary.

• Monday evenings, 5-6, the Virtual RealityLink opens in a new window club will meet to explore the latest in VR and AR tech and experiences for the Arts and Humanities (we have a range of headsets).
• Wednesday afternoons, 1-2, we have two DAHL ShortsLink opens in a new window sessions (in the FAB and online), covering topics including digital humanities, artificial intelligence, and online museums.
• Thursday lunchtimes, 12-1, DAHL CafeLink opens in a new window, you can come along to the FAB Mezzanine for guidance from experts on using technologies in your research, study, and public engagement.
• Digital Humanities CertificationLink opens in a new window for staff and PGR students - participate in 6 DAHL Shorts sessions, do a project to adopt new tools and techniques into practice, and write/record a short reflective account of your experiences with digital humanities.
• DAHL Showcase competitionLink opens in a new window for students - enter your digital productions relating to the theme of "community and belonging" for a chance to win £50.

The new DAHL JournalLink opens in a new window blog has reports on these activities, recordings of events, articles, and more opportunities.

The second annual Widening Participation conference was held on Wednesday 8^th March, themed on Student Voice: A Widening Participation Perspective. The conference provided an opportunity and platform for staff and students to share ideas and discuss student voice as a cross-cutting theme across the whole institution, bringing together academic and professional service colleagues and students. It was fantastic to see contributions from staff and students from the School of Modern Languages and Cultures and Liberal Arts, and delegates from across the Faculty of Arts.

This year's annual Widening Participation conference, with the theme of Student Voice: A Widening Participation Perspective, took place on Wednesday 8th March, with contributions from staff and students from across the University of Warwick, including contributions from the School of Modern Languages and Cultures and Liberal Arts.

Lucy Alder, a final year History student, has written a play which is being staged at Warwick Arts Centre, February 2023

Mika Watkins studied English Literature at Warwick, before going on to create and executive-produce the hit YouTube premium series Origin. Her writing credits include Guillermo del Toro’s Netflix horror series Cabinet Of Curiosities; Stan Lee’s Lucky Man on Sky 1; and BBC1 period drama Troy: Fall of a City.

Mika will return to the English Department next Wednesday, 1^st February to share her experiences in the TV and film industries with current Arts Faculty students.