[URBANTH-L]21st Century Celts- Call for papers, Cornwall UK 2006

[Kevin Meethan]

21st Century Celts

The Inaugural Conference of the Celtic Education and Research Network

8th-10th September 2006

Truro, Cornwall 

Call for Papers


What constitutes Celtic identity in the 21st century?  How does the
definition of Celtic identity differ across the world, particularly
around the Atlantic seaboard?  How are Celtic identities transformed at
cultural and geographical borders? What are the motivations behind the
increasing number of self-identifying Celtic communities across the
world? And how can such Celtic identities be reconciled within
increasingly diverse spatial cultures?  

How do modern Celtic identities continue to use (and abuse?) the past?
What is the role and significance of cultural memory, oral traditions
and the ancient landscape in the construction of Celtic identities?  And
to what extent should the local cultural significance of ancient
monuments affect their conservation and representation as sites of
national importance?

These are the questions to be explored by 21st Century Celts: a
three-day public conference to be held at County Hall, Truro, Cornwall
in the United Kingdom. This event is an initiative of CERN (Celtic
Education & Research Network) and will combine a programme of academic
papers with discussion forums, question and answer panels and displays
and evening performances (including art, poetry and song). Its objective
is to encourage a lively and informed academic debate surrounding the
construction, manifestation and significance of 'Celtic' identities in
the 21st century.   

Papers are requested, addressing the themes raised by the questions
above.  Papers comparing and contrasting global 'Celtic' identities, and
papers that discuss the means via which these identities are
constructed, reproduced and/or transformed (e.g. landscape remnants,
oral traditions, cultural memory, art, literature) are particularly
desired.

It is envisaged that conference proceedings will eventually be
published. Anyone wishing to submit a paper for consideration must send
an abstract of no more than 300 words to:  21stcenturycelts at exeter.ac.uk
by 1st May 2006.  Any queries can also be sent to this email address.
Many thanks.

Conference Organisers

Dr Garry Tregidga (Institute of Cornish Studies, University of Exeter in
Cornwall)

Laura Cripps (Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, University
of Leicester)