DkIT Academics Participate in Irish Screen Studies Seminar

12 June 2023

Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) had a strong representation from their Creative Arts Research Centre (CARC) at the 2023 Irish Screen Studies Seminar (ISSS), hosted by Trinity College Dublin recently. Researchers from several institutions gathered in the Long Room Hub to present on themes including masculinity and women in film, Irish folklore and music, cultural theory and depictions of violence on screen, and cinematic interpretations of pandemics and mental illness. Such a broad range of topics allowed for a variety of fantastic discussions and contesting opinions, and as always, the ISSS offered a fantastic opportunity for postgraduates to network with other students and meet leading academics in their field.

Following the successful hosting of the event at DkIT in 2022, several members of Creative Arts Research Centre (CARC) travelled to Dublin for this year’s event. Luke Malone, who is currently completing his doctoral research on the animated films of Cartoon Saloon, presented a co-authored paper with his supervisor, Dr Daithí Kearney, that critically considered the use and effect of music in the successful trilogy, The Secret of Kells, The Song of the Sea and Wolfwalkers. Research centre co-director Dr Kieran Nolan’s presented his research on digital and interactive art from a visual perspective, while colleague Richard Price focused on generative arts practices in the context of Henri Bergson’s theories of time and memory. Two further DkIT PhD students, Brian Culley and Terry Creagh, presented an evaluation of narrative design in videogames and a discussion of prosthetic memory in cinema. The students are supported by the DkIT Postgraduate Research Scholarship Scheme and Technological University Transformation Fund (TUTF)

Tackling themes of contemporary socio-cultural relevance, panels like Masculinities and Women and the Irish Screen confronted issues that have remained relevant across the decades, from male violence in horror to the deconstruction of traditional gender roles in Ireland. This discussion shared the same space as panels on modern issues, such as the impact of Covid-19 on our perception of pre-Covid pandemic-narratives and the possibilities for visual storytelling and interactive experience within videogames. Presented by a mixture of emerging and established scholars, the seminar offered the opportunity for speakers from a broad range of disciplines, colleges, and cultural backgrounds to exchange their experiences. Trinity College’s expansive facilities, alongside its wide collection of academic and historical texts allowed researchers the opportunity to explore between and after panel sessions. The seminar was defined by a comfortable blend between in-depth discussion and casual networking, making for an experience that was warm, relaxing, and thought-provoking.