Forwarded message
From: This is the superlist for the art group of lists on behalf of Ricarda Vidal
Sent: Mon 5/10/2010 10:50
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [ART-ALL] CFP: GHost-Hunters
Call for papers/presentations for GHost III: Hostings 3 & 4
GHost-hunters
GHost is led by Sarah Sparkes and Ricarda Vidal
Institute of Germanic & Romance Studies, Stewart House, 32 Russell
Square, London WC1B 5DN
Deadline for submissions of proposals: 12 July 2010
Date for Hosting 3: 12 October 2010
Date for Hosting 4: 16 November 2010
Venue: The Courtroom, Senate House South Block, Malet Street, London
WC1E 7HU
"HAUNTED HOUSE: Responsible persons of leisure and intelligence,
intrepid, critical, and unbiased, are invited to join rota of observers
in a years night and day investigation of alleged haunted house in Home
counties. Printed Instructions supplied. Scientific training or ability
to operate simple instruments an advantage. House situated in lonely
hamlet, so own car is essential. Write Box H.989, The Times, E.C.4"
This ad appeared on 25 May 1937 in The Times. It was posted by Harry
Price, an early-20th-century ghost-hunter who was looking for fellow
researchers to investigate the paranormal activities in Borley Rectory,
allegedly Britain's 'most haunted house'. Price was a member of the
Ghost Club and the Magic Circle and avid collector of magical artefacts
and literature on the paranormal and occult. He visited and researched
'haunted houses' all over Britain and Europe and documented the presence
of ghosts and other inexplicable phenomena. He was also the first person
to broadcast live from a 'haunted house' and is usually referred to as
'the original ghost hunter'.
While it is unlikely that a similar ad would be taken seriously by most
readers of The Times these days, TV-shows such as 'Britain's Most
Haunted', or cinema films like The Blair Witch Project (1999) or
Paranormal Activity (2010) as well as the abundance of websites
dedicated to the paranormal attest to the continuing interest in the
field. In some sense ghost-hunting has become popular entertainment, but
its popularity is also an expression of a need to prove the existence of
life beyond death.
We would like to invite proposals for presentations of 30 minutes on the
theme of ghost-hunters for the two hostings on 12 October and 16
November. We are interested in presentations which look at
ghost-hunting as a historical as well as a contemporary activity and
would like to hear from practicing artists as well as from researchers
within the fields of anthropology, art history, cultural studies, film
studies, history, law, literary studies, parapsychology, psychology etc.
Whether you're proposing an academic paper, a performative talk, a
recital of poetry or creative writing or a presentation of your art
practice please think of ways of presenting your work beyond the neat
framing of Power Point and take us somewhere on the far side of Windows
Vista.
Please send a (working) title, an abstract of ca. 300 words, and, if
applicable one or two pictures, to [log in to unmask]
Abstracts should reach us no later than 12 July 2010.
The GHost project has been running since 2008. It addresses the various
roles ghosts play in contemporary culture by bringing artists, writers,
curators and researchers together for workshops, so-called 'hostings'
and exhibitions of moving image and performance art. The hostings take
place at the Institute of Germanic & Romance Studies and exhibitions are
hosted by St Johns on Bethnal Green (East London).
For more info please see our website:
http://www.host-a-ghost.blogspot.com/
Or join the GHost group on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=117301037117&v=wall&ref=mf
Artists, please note that there will be a separate call for submissions
for the GHost exhibition at St Johns on 17-19 December. We will
circulate this soon and will also post it on our website and on
facebook.
Mary Oliver
Reader in Performance
Head of Performance Research Centre
University of Salford
Adelphi House
Chapel Street
Salford
M5 4WT
Tel: 0161295 6134
-----Original Message-----
From: Society for The Academic Study of Magic on behalf of Pitch
Sent: Mon 4/19/2010 15:26
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] interesting character info
Aloha,
On 4/19/2010 5:23 AM, Caduceus Books wrote:
>I do wonder if academics on this list find the involvement of
>state security services in academia an issue, especially given
>the traditional affinity between spies and occultism.
A few general comments:
1.) I think that it's just common sense for academics and researchers
to presume that state security services are present in the academic
environment and active for various reasons.
Academic institutions, after all, offer instruction in lots of subjects
that may have relevance to them--language, science, culture,
psychology, what my own alma mater calls "police sciences," etc.
In addition, security services may themselves sponsor and fund
research.
Plus, some agencies just gather in information and material and
watch folks as a matter of doing their job.
2.) On the quiet to covert side, security services probably find
academic institutions deserving of attention because lots of
potential "troublemakers" gather there, even if for entirely
personal and "innocent" reasons. Studying, maybe.
3.) All in all, I don't think that magic and occult studies draw
state security attentions in themselves. I suppose that much would
depend on specific topics and on state security goals. Magic in a
particular culture might become very important for a mission, say.
One thing that crosses my mind from time to time is the role of
security services in generating disinformation. Here, occulture
is ripe with potential. And the disinformation could complicate
research into "authentic" topics. (Those false WWII Nostradamus
prophecies, for instance. Or those Protocols of Zion.)
4.) It's probably worthwhile to extend mulling stuff like this into
what various NGOs and private institutions and movements may
get up to vis a vis surveillance and such. I could imagine situations
in which magical and occult studies might become a concern for,
say, a corporation or a religious movement.
5.) It's been my experience that there's no workable way to get
security services out of the academic domain. We just gotta adapt
to the environment and all its denizens.
Musing Abra-Ka-Vet-Me! Rose,
Pitch
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