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Up in the Air: early flight and 'air-mindedness' A half-day multidisciplinary workshop organised jointly by the Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI), University of Westminster, and the London Consortium. Friday 17th June, 2011 at 2.00 - 5.30pm University of Westminster, 309 Regent Street, London W1B 2UW Invited Speakers: Sean Street, Bournemouth University Davide Deriu, University of Westminster Peter Adey, Keele University James Wilkes, London Consortium Convenors: David Hendy, University of Westminster Lily Ford, London Consortium In the first half of the twentieth century, flying at speed through the air was a new and profoundly affecting experience. Our relationship with the landscape below changed dramatically. We saw the surface of the world in new ways. But powered flight was an immersive multi-sensory experience which didn't just change visual culture. It prompted a whole range of new ideas - about the body, about movement, about space, about human consciousness, about the nature of air itself. Aviation emerged at almost exactly the same time as radio, and by the 1920s a surprising number of the earliest pilots found themselves working in broadcasting. Soon they talked of 'taking to the air' in more metaphorical ways. The BBC was an 'air service'; 'ether' was the medium of communication through which all signals and transmissions must pass; the airwaves even seemed to facilitate mind-control at a distance. The lexicon of airways and airwaves extended outside these two technologies to have a wider cultural impact. Writers, journalists and strategists spoke about the necessity of 'air-mindedness'. Aerial photography was commercialised, and became both a tool of survey and planning, and a style of branding for industry and tourism. Archaeologists, travellers and historians found new ways into the past in the view from above. Researchers from the fields of art history, architecture, literature, media history, geography, history of science and the study of emotions are invited to explore these intersections in this half-day workshop. There will be a series of presentations by invited speakers, followed by discussion. The afternoon will close, over coffee, with a consideration of possibilities for future collaboration. Open to all interested researchers. Registration fee: £10. Registration opens 18 May. To book, please complete the attached registration form and send to Helen Cohen [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> General enquires 020 7911 5000 ext 4298 -- The University of Westminster is a charity and a company limited by guarantee. Registration number: 977818 England. Registered Office: 309 Regent Street, London W1B 2UW, UK. -------------------------------------------------------- MeCCSA mailing list -------------------------------------------------------- To manage your subscription or unsubscribe from the MECCSA list, please visit: https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?SUBED1=MECCSA&A=1 ------------------------------------------------------- MeCCSA is the subject association for the field of media, communication and cultural studies in UK Higher Education. Membership is open to all who teach and research these subjects in HE institutions, via either institutional or individual membership. The field includes film and TV production, journalism, radio, photography, creative writing, publishing, interactive media and the web; and it includes higher education for media practice as well as for media studies. This mailing list is a free service from MeCCSA and is not restricted to members. For further information, please visit: http://www.meccsa.org.uk/ --------------------------------------------------------