Colloquium Series Fall 2017

Colloquium Series Fall 2017Join us for a REFLECTIVE and INTELLECTUALLY ENGAGING series of faculty presentation followed by discussions and accompanied by refreshments

Since its beginning in 2009, the presentations of the Arts and Humanities Colloquium have engendered conversations about ideas among members of the Arts and Humanities Faculty and their communities both at VIU and in the mid-Island region. Our presenters have shown how important the arts and humanities are to understanding today’s world. We are delighted to share our scholarly and creative work with our audiences and invite you to join us.

All presentations take place from 10 to 11:30 am in the Malaspina Theatre on the Nanaimo campus. Courtesy parking is available. Come anytime after 9:30 for coffee and snacks!

Fall 2017

September 29

A Jazz Birthday Party:
One Hundred Years on Record

Greg Bush, Music Department

In 1917, the “Original Dixieland Jass Band” made what is considered to be the first jazz recording. It included the song “Darktown Strutters Ball,” composed by Canadian Shelton Brooks. Come explore the importance of the original recording and learn about Canada’s contribution to jazz music. A great party needs great music — let’s make some!

October 20

It’s the End of the World As We Know It:
Archetypal Narratives, The Epic of Gilgamesh, And the Fate of Civilization

Anna Atkinson, English Department

We’ve always seen it coming. The end of the world has been a persistent theme in literature. The Epic of Gilgamesh, recognized as the earliest known literary work, is the basis for this discussion which examines the connections between the fate of civilization and the use of the Epic, Romance, and Tragedy in Western literature.

November 24

The Rights of the Dead:
Women and Wills in Early Modern Scotland

Cathryn Spence, History Department

Making a will in the sixteenth century was no less important than it is today. The will-making practices of early modern Scottish women were shaped by gender, marital status, and place. How these women chose to disseminate their worldly goods, and the exhortations and rebukes that accompanied their bequests, provides a window into early modern gender relations and family bonds, and gives a lively voice to the departed.

For further information contact:
Katharine Rollwagen at Katharine.Rollwagen@viu.ca