Registration
is open for The Legacy of Watership Down: Animals,
Adaptation, Animation, taking place at the University of Warwick on Saturday 10th November.
Registration is £15 (£10 concessions) and includes lunch and refreshments. Registration closes Friday 26th October.
This is
an interdisciplinary symposium marking the 40th anniversary of the release of the 1978 animated film Watership
Down (dir. Martin Rosen), adapted from Richard Adams' 1972 novel. This event
seeks to foster academic discourse on this landmark of British animation which continues to resonate with audiences 40 years after its first release due to its socio-political allegory, shocking representation of death and violence, and moving depiction of
the plight of animals and the importance of preserving our natural environment. In
addition to these these themes, the panels will also focus on music and genre, animated
aesthetics, and the production and reception contexts of the film.
The keynote address will be delivered by Dr Chris Pallant of Canterbury Christ Church University. He will be joined by Nigel and Klive Humberstone, sons of Watership Down senior animator Arthur Humberstone. A key figure in the landscape of British animation,
Humberstone also worked on landmark films including Yellow Submarine (1968) and Animal Farm (1954), and his sons will be able to provide a unique perspective on the film's artistry and production.
We will also be joined by a representative from the BBFC, Emily Fussell, who will shed light on the reasoning of the film's controversial 'U' certificate.
For the full programme and further information about the event, including travel and accommodation advice, please visit
https://watershipdown40.wordpress.com/
This event is jointly funded by the Society for Animation Studies and the Humanities Research Centre, University of Warwick.
Best regards
Dr. Catherine Lester
Lecturer
in Film and Television, University of Birmingham / Associate Fellow in Film and Television, University
of Warwick
Forthcoming event:
The Legacy of Watership Down: Animals, Adaptation, Animation
10th Nov 2018, University of Warwick
watershipdown40.wordpress.com