The Department of Creative Arts, Media and Music recently hosted the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. This initiative, which started in 2019, is an excellent opportunity to showcase a sample of the most promising dissertations/research projects to a larger audience. The symposium blended short presentations with lively Q&A sessions that invited the audience to reflect on various research projects and to engage in scholarly debate. There was a great variety of dissertation topics, ranging from the denial of complex Asian archetypes in 21^st century Hollywood films, the love hate relationship with romance genre, to the image of Audrey Hepburn as a star and the process of adapting literary material to screen. 

The proud winners of this year’s symposium were Lauren Corlett and Cora Hogan from the Film and Television programme, with dissertations on the topics of Depictions of Asexuality in Film and Television, respectively A Gendered Exploration of the Portrayal of Summiting Everest in Film.

Cora Hogan, winner of the Prize “Outstanding Contribution to Film Research”, stated:

“It meant a lot for me to win the prize, I felt like I was reminding people that niche research topics are both important and interesting.”

Addressing the students in the audience, Dr. Fergal Mc Caffery Head of School of Informatics and Creative Arts, argued that "Research doesn't end with your degree. In many ways it is just the beginning." He warmly invited the students to:

“Keep in mind that research is more than just an undergraduate academic requirement. It’s a vital tool for expanding your understanding of your discipline area, enhancing your creative process, and contributing meaningfully to the ongoing conversation about cinema, music, theatre, creative media. So, let your curiosity lead you. Keep questioning, keep exploring, and, above all, keep researching.”

Dr. Ingrid Lewis, lecturer of the fourth-year dissertation module and one of the event organisers (together with Dr. Georgina Hughes and Dr. Niall Coghlan) stated:

“After a 7-month journey working on their dissertations, the students are happy to showcase their research findings and to discuss these projects that they are passionate about. Their research achievements and skills acquired during this process will last a lifetime. I am extremely proud of each one of them.”