Dear All,

Members of the Ballad List may be interested in the following conference.
We would certainly be happy to receive abstracts on relevant
topics from members of the list.  Note that the deadline for submission of
abstracts has been extended to 15 February 2001.

Julia Bishop

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DIMENSIONS OF PLAY
TIME, SPACE AND IMAGINATION IN CHILDREN'S ORAL
CULTURE

An international conference to be held at the University of Sheffield,
24-27 July 2001

ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR PAPERS

Following on from the 'State of Play' conference at the University of
Sheffield in 1998, the National Centre for English Cultural Tradition,
in association with the Japan Youth Friendship Association, is
pleased to announce a second international conference on the play
traditions and oral culture of school-aged children.

The main focus of the conference will be on the many dimensions
of children's self-directed play.  Possible topics include:

- children's use of space and place

- children's play through historical time and across linguistic and
cultural boundaries

- playtime and children's perceptions of it

- social, educational and aesthetic dimensions of play

- play and the imagination.

Presentations are invited on any of the above and on other aspects
of school-aged children's oral culture, including children's belief and
custom, language and narrative traditions.  A variety of academic
approaches is welcomed.

Please send a title and short abstract (approx. 250 words) for
presentations (individual papers of approximately 20 minutes
duration, disucssion panels, display boards or other medium of
presentation) to the Conference Organisers at the address below.
The deadline for submissions has been extended to 15 February 2001.

To join the conference mailing list, please contact the Conference
Organisers:

Dr Julia Bishop and Dr Mavis Curtis
National Centre for English Cultural Tradition
University of Sheffield
SHEFFIELD S10 2TN
United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0) 114 222 6296
Email Julia Bishop<[log in to unmask]>

------- End of forwarded message -------



Julia C. Bishop (Dr)

National Centre for English Cultural Tradition
University of Sheffield
Sheffield  S10 2TN
U.K.

Tel:    0114 222 6296 (Main office)
        0114 222 0196 (Direct line) PLEASE NOTE NEW NUMBER

E-mail: [log in to unmask]