Rediscovering the Vikings: Reception, Recovery, Engagement
25th-26th November 2016 at University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
www.worldtreeproject.org
The World-Tree Project is a large-scale community collection initiative in the field of Old Norse and Viking Studies, funded by an Irish Research Council ‘New Horizons’ Grant. The World-Tree archive will be launched with an interdisciplinary conference on the theme of Rediscovering the Vikings at University College Cork.
The objective of this conference is to bring together academics and enthusiasts with an interest in community engagement, cultural heritage and reception studies to discuss new approaches to the Viking Age and possibilities for involving the public in the study of the period. Interest in the Vikings is at an all-time high thanks to the popularity of History Channel’s Vikings and similar series; tourism to Viking sites is flourishing; and historical fiction with a Viking theme is more popular than ever. Collaborations such as the recent Viking exhibition curated by the National Museums of Denmark, Britain and Germany, the Destination Viking concept and the Languages, Myths and Finds Project have further highlighted the transnational appeal of the Viking past, whilst also drawing attention to the fact that this common heritage is relevant in different ways for different populations. The launch of the World-Tree archive presents an excellent opportunity to discuss the ways in which interest in the Vikings can be translated into meaningful collaboration, to address reception in a European context, and to critically reflect on how digital technologies are changing the ways in which we collaborate, conduct research and interpret the Viking world.
We invite proposals for papers of 20 minutes’ duration which relate to the general conference theme, as well as posters, project reports and innovative digital presentation formats. Possible topics include:
- Public engagement, community collection, outreach
- Collaboration between individuals, organisations and institutions
- Digitising and curating cultural heritage
- New media approaches to the Vikings
- Reception studies
- Creative practice and the academy
- Rethinking Viking and Norse identities
Abstracts of no longer than 250 words should be emailed to worldtreeproject@ucc.ie by Friday 20th May 2016.
We look forward to welcoming you to Rediscovering the Vikings in November!
