"Arts and the Environment" Initiative launches

22 Mar 2018

Overview of first meeting which took place on 8 February 2018

On Thursday 8 February 2018, colleagues from across the Divisions attended the launch of SALC's "Arts and the Environment" Initiative.

Those who attended are currently working on various aspects of the environment, whether through research, teaching, public or business engagement. Or, they simply had an interest in finding out more about the inititiative.

Colleagues were invited to share their ideas and research over lunch. Below is a brief overview of each project:

Sarah May (manager, John Rylands Research Institute): invites researchers to come and work on collections: medical / medieval / playbills / street literature etc sarah.may@manchester.ac.uk
Chloe Jeffries: SALC research grant writer chloe.jeffries@manchester.ac.uk
David Gelsthorpe (Curator of Earth Science Collections, Manchester Museum): interested in getting collections together, particularly on climate actions and how to communicate and broadcast ideas David.Gelsthorpe@manchester.ac.uk
Stephen Bottoms (Drama): looks at the arts in relation to the environment, particularly aimed at the community / stake holder organisations stephen.bottoms@manchester.ac.uk
John Thorne (Birmingham): looking at weather and climate impact on art history, John Constable/Monet’s work in particular; given presentations at the National Gallery; looked at the air quality of New Street Station, Birmingham j.e.thornes@bham.ac.uk
Alex Hall (Newman University, Birmingham; currently president of the International Commission on the History of Meteorology): interested in the depictions of science and among the general population Alexander.Hall@staff.newman.ac.uk
Vladimir Jankovic (CHSTM): atmosphere humanities; history of environmental science since the 18^th century; history of urban climatology and the visual representation of clouds Vladimir.Jankovic@manchester.ac.uk
Duncan Wilson (CHSTM): historian, looks at medical bio-ethics, environmental and ethological ethics; writing a book about the debates on animal extinction, and prioritising saving some animals over others Duncan.Wilson@manchester.ac.uk
Alice Marples (research associate, John Rylands Research Institute): medicine and natural history, collecting practices, accumulating knowledge about the natural world and how this represents identity / scholarly identity
alice.marples@manchester.ac.uk
Peter Scott (Religion and Theology; Lincoln Theological Institute): theology of nature, anti-human theology, climate change, tropes from apocalyptic discourse, systematic theology and climate change Peter.Scott@manchester.ac.uk
Esther Gomez-Sierra (Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American studies): Cervantes; early modern literature of physiologists; looks at drama, particularly street theatre’s influence on established and traditional theatre esther.gomez-sierra@manchester.ac.uk
Phillip Roessner (History; CIDRAL head): invites ideas for events CIDRAL can sponsor on its programme next year on natural/environmental themes philipp.roessner@manchester.ac.uk
Henry Mcghie (Head of Collections and Curator of Zoology, Manchester Museum): ecologist, bird conservationist; recently published a book on climate change and 19^th century ornithology henry.mcghie@manchester.ac.uk
Rachel Winchcombe (Teaching Fellow in Early Modern History): research on the introduction of New World foods to English society / the agricultural crisis, and the impact of importation of New World foods rachel.winchcombe@manchester.ac.uk
John Morgan (History): water, flooding, disaster governance and prevention in early modern England john.morgan@manchester.ac.uk
Georg Christ (History): 14^th century climate change; Egypt and the Red Sea; topography of Alexandria georg.christ@manchester.ac.uk
Jennifer Sheppard (Music): looks at traditions of performing opera; ideas of fitness and health; teaching eco-musicology; works on a sustainable blog with other students jennifer.sheppard@manchester.ac.uk
Eithne Quinn (American Studies): works on climate change communication/film in her teaching, some of her students make films about related topics Eithne.Quinn@manchester.ac.uk
Stephanie Lambert (American Studies): teaches 3^rd year course on commodity fictions, focusing on the links between capitalism and environmental degradation stephanie.lambert@manchester.ac.uk
Clara Dawson (English): looks at 19^th century/Victorian literature, particularly poetry and birds, and how poetry influences attitudes about the environment clara.dawson@manchester.ac.uk
Lucinda Newns (Postcolonial and Contemporary Literature): post-colonial literature, focusing on migration / home-making / domesticity; bringing together eco-critical approaches lucinda.newns@manchester.ac.uk
Rachel Webster (curator of botany at Manchester Museum): has held exhibitions about climate change and extinction; school of earth and environmental sciences; part of the Living Campus Working group Rachel.E.Webster@manchester.ac.uk
Simon Parry (Drama): written a book about science in contemporary performance; looks at the reciprocal interest between science and the arts simon.parry@manchester.ac.uk
Gemma Sou (HCRI): looks at how media representation of disaster victims, including in training video games for aid workers Gemma.Sou@manchester.ac.uk
Angela Becher (Chinese Studies): Chinese cultural studies, looks at environmental problems in China angela.becher@manchester.ac.uk
Victoria Brandon (Archaeology): incoming MA student in Archaeology, having worked previously as a lawyer and illustrator; looks in particular at the built environment victoria.brandon@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk
Christopher Payne (Chinese Studies): looks at eco-critical issues in Chinese contemporary film, and new visual ideas about environmental representation christopher.payne@manchester.ac.uk
Donna Sherman (Special Collections library, University Library): responsible for historical maps, which might be of interest for those working for urban development, in particular Donna.Sherman@manchester.ac.uk
Ana Carden-Coyne (History): director of the Centre for the Cultural History of War ; research visual arts, medical history - war affected environments; war/humanitarian disaster; trauma/nature therapies a.cc@manchester.ac.uk
Pierre Fuller (History): works on ecological crisis and disaster relief in 19^th and early 20^th century China, particularly rural communities and charity networks; editor of DisasterHistory.org pierre.fuller@manchester.ac.uk
Anke Bernau (English): interested in architectural environments in the Middle Ages, particularly the relationship of space and place the fostering of curiosity; interested in the work of Michel Serres and Bruno Latour Anke.Bernau@manchester.ac.uk
Jerome Brillaud (French Studies): research concerns voluntary simplicity and the impact of humans on nature, from a historical and philosophical perspective; his module Beyond Human relates to the impact of industrial farming on the environment jerome.brillaud@manchester.ac.uk
Samantha Lackey (senior curator, the Whitworth): extensive holdings of historical and contemporary representations of landscape and colleagues at the Whitworth are particularly interested in these in relation to current critical debates around the environment, land rights (national and international), the anthropocene and the post-industrial landscape and invite conversations about research interests from colleagues across the University Samantha.Lackey@manchester.ac.uk

If you are interested in finding out more, please contact:

Pierre Fuller pierre.fuller@manchester.ac.uk
SALC Associate Director of External Relations (Social Responsibility)