Selected seminars, conferences, lectures, film screenings, exhibitions, and workshops in French and Francophone Studies (2015 -).
The DELC Research Seminar Series (DRSS) encourages collaboration and co-production between staff and students across European Languages and Cultures and beyond.
Each series is designed on a transversal exploration of a common theme, for example Decolonising Minds and Methods (2021 to 2022).
Date: 20 September 2019
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
In brief: A one-day workshop organised by the Association of University Professors and Heads of French (AUPHF), co-sponsored by the Society for French Studies and the French Embassy. Focusing on changing mindsets and rethinking the value of languages in a time of crisis, the event brought together stakeholders from Universities, Schools and Cultural Institutes to celebrate and share positive examples of French and Francophone teaching of language and culture. The event culminated with a roundtable discussion on advocacy, lobbying and policy making.
Dates: 13 and 14 December 2018
Venues: 7 George Square, University of Edinburgh; L’Institut français d’Ecosse
Keynote speakers: Professor Nobuko Akiyama (Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo); Professor Nobuko Anan (Kansai University); Professor Fuhito Endo (Seikei University, Tokyo)
Organisers: Dr Fabien Arribert-Narce (University of Edinburgh); Dr Akihiko Shimizu (Cardiff University)
In brief: A two-day international conference in comparative literature on representations of the face in Japanese and Western European art, literature and theatre from the Early Modern period to the present. Comprising 13 papers over five sessions, and three keynote lectures, the event was supported by the DAIWA Foundation (UK), L'Institut Français Écosse and LLC.
Date: 15 June 2018
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
Organisers: Dr María Alonso Alonso, Dr Charlotte Bosseaux, Dr Véronique Desnain and Dr Fiona Mackintosh
In brief: A one-day symposium on the evolution of narrative techniques towards noir aesthetics in world literatures. Combining panel sessions involving nine selected researchers, and a facilitated conversation with author Christopher Brookmyre, the event looked at texts which favour the adoption of a new consciousness towards cultural politics, as they reinforce the connection between literature and public affairs.
Related research: Language and Violence
Date: 15 September 2017
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh; Summerhall
Events series: The World After Fukushima
Organiser: Dr Fabien Arribert-Narce
In brief: The third in a series of events on the Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011 and the future of nuclear energy. This international one-day conference, in English, focused on Post-Fukushima Art and Literature in Japan and the West. Comprising five panel sessions and a roundtable discussion, it culminated with a screening of 'The World after Fukushima' and a Q&A with its director Kenichi Watanabe and scriptwriter Michaël Ferrier. Generously supported by the Japan Foundation Endowment Committee.
Date: 14 September 2017
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
Events series: The World After Fukushima
Organiser: Dr Fabien Arribert-Narce
The second in a series of events on the Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011 and the future of nuclear energy. This international one-day conference, in French, focused on the Tokyo-based writer Michaël Ferrier, author of the 2012 book 'Fukushima: Récit d'un désastre'. Generously supported by the Japan Foundation Endowment Committee, it comprised three panel sessions and a talk with Michaël Ferrier.
Date: 30 September 2016
Venue: Corpus Christi College, The University of Cambridge
Keynote speakers: Professor Ágnes Pethő (Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania); Professor Steven Jacobs (Ghent University)
Organisers: Film and the Other Arts network (Universities of Aberystwyth, Cambridge, Edinburgh and the Applied Arts, Vienna).
In brief: The second of four workshops examining the manifold ways in which cinema references, incorporates and reframes other artistic practices, initiating fusions and cross-overs between different media. Comprising keynote lectures, panel sessions and a roundtable discussion, the AHRC-funded event culminated in a public screening of the 2103 film Magic Mirror and a Q&A with its director, Sarah Pucill.
Dates: 8 to 10 September 2016
Venue: Institute of Advanced Studies in the Humanities (Days 1 & 2); L’Institut français d’Ecosse (Day 3)
Events series: Recovering Women's Past
Organiser: Dr Séverine Genieys-Kirk
In brief: A three-day conference bringing together 35 international experts to explore the power of women in Europe and America from the Renaissance to the present in panel sessions, exhibitions, a documentary screening, public talks and discussions. The first in an ongoing series of ‘cultural encounters’ between past and present, the event unlocked disciplinary differences and opened a new field of cross-cultural and transmedial investigation between playwrights, artists, filmmakers and others.
Related research: Cultural Encounters/Dialogues; Learning to see the power of women
Date: 29 April 2016
Venue: Parry Williams Building, Aberystwyth University
Keynote speaker: Professor Stephen Barber (Kingston University)
Organisers: Film and the Other Arts network (Universities of Aberystwyth, Cambridge, Edinburgh and the Applied Arts, Vienna).
In brief: The first of four workshops examining the manifold ways in which cinema references, incorporates and reframes other artistic practices, initiating fusions and cross-overs between different media. Comprising a keynote lecture, panel sessions and a roundtable discussion, the AHRC-funded event culminated in a public screening of the 1995 film Hands and a talk by its director, Adam Roberts.
Related research: Film and the Other Arts
Date: 26 January 2023
Venue: Institut français d'Écosse
Guest speakers: Fabien Arribert-Narce (University Edinburgh); Tamzin Elliott (University of Edinburgh); Catherine Guiat (Institut Français Écosse); Elise Hugueny-Léger (University of St Andrews); Caroline Verdier (University of Strathclyde); Ed Welch (University of Aberdeen)
In brief: A round-table discussion in French and Q&A in both English and French to celebrate acclaimed French writer Annie Ernaux. Participants read book excerpts to the audience, then took part in a round-table discussion in French where panelists examined some of the key themes in Ernaux’s work.
Date: 19 March 2021
Venue: Online (Zoom)
Organisers: Centre de recherches francophones belges; Institut français d’Ecosse; Institut français du Royaume-Uni
In brief: An online talk - in French - with celebrated Congolese author In Koli Jean Bofane. Hosted by Edouard Notte, the event was introduced by Laurence Païs, Director of the Institut français d’Écosse, and by the University of Edinburgh's Rector, Debora Kayembe.
Date: 23 March 2019
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
Organisers: Professor Marion Schmid (University of Edinburgh); Dr Hugues Azérad (University of Cambridge)
In brief: The second in a pair of special events marking the visit of film director Pascale Breton to Edinburgh. Sponsored by the Institut Français d’Ecosse, Magdalene College, Cambridge, and AMOPA (Association des Membres de l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques), the talk offered a fascinating, illustrated insight into Breton's practice as a filmmaker and scriptwriter - one of the most original voices in French contemporary cinema.
Date: 15 September 2017
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
Events series: The World After Fukushima
Organiser: Dr Fabien Arribert-Narce
In brief: The fourth in a series of events on the Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011 and the future of nuclear energy. An hour-long, round-table discussion chaired by Dr Chris Perkins (LLC), with Professors Doug Slaymaker, Lisette Gebhardt and Michaël Ferrier.
Date: 10 September 2016
Venue: Institut français d’Écosse, Edinburgh
Events series: Recovering Women's Past
Speakers: Professor Gina Luria Walker (USA; Chair); Professor Suzan Broomhall (Australia); Professor Mary Spongberg (Australia); Dr Elena Woodacre (UK); Dr Armel Duboit-Nayt (France); Dr Séverine Genieys-Kirk (UK)
In brief: Part of a major three-day conference on the power of women in Europe and America from the Renaissance to the present, this public event discussed the representation in historiography and films of Catherine de Medici, Joan of Navarre, Marie Stuart (Mary, Queen of Scots), Queen Margot, and Christina of Sweden.
Related research: Learning to see the power of women
Date: 10 September 2016
Venue: Institut français d’Écosse, Edinburgh
Events series: Recovering Women's Past
In brief: Part of a major three-day conference on the power of women in Europe and America from the Renaissance to the present, this public event brought together four theatre practitioners to discuss their work. With the participation of Anna Birch (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland):
Related research: Learning to see the power of women
Date: 11 October 2022
Venue: Screening Room G.04, 50 George Square
Organisers: Édouard Notte (University of Edinburgh) and Institut Français d'Écosse
In brief: An exclusive screening of the French documentary Ruptures (2021), followed by a Q&A and discussion with Economics and Geography student Gabriel Bonammy (University of St Andrews) who has translated the documentary from French into English. The event was co-organised with Institut Français Écosse in Edinburgh, and the film was shown in French with English subtitles.
Date: 4 November 2021
Venue: Online (Zoom)
Organisers: The Centre de recherches francophones belges, SCILT (Scotland’s National Centre for Languages), the Universities of Strathclyde and Leicester, and Wallonia-Brussels International.
In brief: A screening of the climate activism documentary Sangterra, and Q&A with its Belgian producer Christophe Smets.
Date: 10 November 2019
Venue: Filmhouse
In brief: A screening of the 2018 film 'Keep Going' adapted from the novel 'Continuer' by Laurent Mauvignier. Screened as part of the French Film Festival UK, the film was followed by a conversation with its director (and screenplay writer) Joachim Lafosse.
Date: 22 March 2019
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
Organisers: Professor Marion Schmid (University of Edinburgh); Dr Hugues Azérad (University of Cambridge)
In brief: The first in a pair of special events marking the visit of film director Pascale Breton to Edinburgh. Sponsored by the Institut Français d’Ecosse, Magdalene College, Cambridge, and AMOPA (Association des Membres de l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques), the event involved the screening of Breton's 2015 film, Suite Armoricaine, and a discussion with herself and actress Manon Evenat.
Date: 27 June 2018
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
Organiser: Dr Séverine Genieys-Kirk
In brief: A public screening of Bertrand Tavernier's 2010 film La Princesse de Montpensier [The Princess of Montpensier] shown in collaboration with The French Institute as part of the two-day event, Cultural Encounters Between North, South, West And East. Inspired by a novel by an iconic seventeenth-century French woman writer, the film was introduced by Dr Séverine Genieys-Kirk based on her research ‘Women of the past, Reception of women writers: Madame de La Fayette as a case study’.
Related research: Cultural Encounters/Dialogues; Learning to see the power of women
Date: 15 September 2017
Venue: Summerhall, Edinburgh
Events series: The World After Fukushima
Organiser: Dr Fabien Arribert-Narce
In brief: The fifth in a series of events on the Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011 and the future of nuclear energy. A screening of the 2013 documentary 'The World After Fukushima' (Kami Productions, Arte France), followed by a Q&A with director, Kenichi Watanabe, and scriptwriter, Michaël Ferrier. Generously supported by the Japan Foundation Endowment Committee.
Date: 13 September 2017
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
Events series: The World After Fukushima
Organiser: Dr Fabien Arribert-Narce
In brief: The first in a series of events on the Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011 and the future of nuclear energy. A screening of the 2015 documentary 'Nuclear Lands' (Kami Productions, Arte France), followed by a Q&A with director, Kenichi Watanabe, and scriptwriter, Michaël Ferrier. Generously supported by the Japan Foundation Endowment Committee.
The French Play is an annual production by Les Escogriffes, the University of Edinburgh's French Theatre Society.
Established with the help and encouragement of lecturer Peter Allen in 1969, the Society is now entirely student led; you don't have to be studying French to be an 'Escogriffe' but many members are.
| Date(s) | Title | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 24 to 26 March 2022 | Le Barbier de Séville | Institut français d’Écosse |
| 21 May 2021 | L'Illustre Philosophe, ou l'histoire de Sainte Catherine d'Alexandrie | Online |
| 22 and 23 March 2019 | Les Femmes Savantes | Assembly Roxy (22); Augustine United Church (23) |
| 29 and 30 March 2018 | Victor ou les enfants au pouvoir! | Assembly Roxy |
Date: 15 January 2019
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
In brief: An event based on the French delicacy, Galette de Rois - a cake traditionally shared at Epiphany. Part of the DELC Festive Showcase, bringing staff and students together to celebrate languages and cultures from around Europe.
Date: 31 May 2018
Venue: L’Institut français d’Ecosse, Edinburgh
Events series: Recovering Early Modern Women’s Past Workshop Series
Organiser: Dr Séverine Genieys-Kirk
In brief: The second in a series of workshops examining the lives and literature of female writers from the early modern period (16th to 18th centuries). Held in French, this event centred on the novels of Madame de La Fayette, with a particular focus on La Princesse de Montpensier.
Related research: Cultural Encounters/Dialogues; Learning to see the power of women
Date: 17 May 2018
Venue: L’Institut français d’Ecosse, Edinburgh
Events series: Recovering Early Modern Women’s Past Workshop Series
Organiser: Dr Séverine Genieys-Kirk
In brief: The first in a series of workshops examining the lives and literature of female writers from the early modern period (16th to 18th centuries). Held in French, this event centred on the work of seventeenth-century playwright and novelist, Mme de Villedieu, with a focus on her play, Le Favori (1665) (H. Goldwyn and A. Evain (eds.), Théâtre de femmes de l’Ancien Régime, XVIIes, 2008).
Related research: Cultural Encounters/Dialogues; Learning to see the power of women
Dates: 29 July to 8 October 2016
Venue: Talbot Rice Gallery, University of Edinburgh
Events series: Recovering Women's Past
In brief: Associating with Andy Warhol and the Beat Generation, Alice Neel (1900-1984) tended to exist on the peripheries of society. Telling the story of the turbulent events that shaped Neel’s life, The Subject and Me was the first solo exhibition of her work in Scotland. It was the latest in a series of exhibitions at Talbot Rice Gallery promoting the work of leading women artists, previously including Jane and Louise Wilson, Hanne Darboven, Jenny Holzer and Rosemarie Trockel. A guided tour of the exhibition with Principal Curator, Pat Fisher, was included in the programme of the Recovering Women’s Past conference in September 2016.
Related research: Learning to see the power of women
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