my contribution to the holy hiatus symposium in cardigan last year

http://www.holyhiatus.co.uk/symposium.html

A two-day interdisciplinary symposium took place at the Small World Theatre, Cardigan, west Wales in September 2010 organised in conjunction with PlaCe Research Centre, The University of West England, exploring the vital role that ritual plays in creatively re-imagining places and our relationships to them. The event featured illustrated talks, performative lectures and workshops led by specialists in the creative arts, humanities and social sciences.

Holy Hiatus refers to the crossing of the boundary between inner and outer consciousness and the conference explored the vital role that ritual plays in social interaction, stressing the importance of liminal or ‘inbetween’ spaces where personal and social identities may be creatively transformed. The programme included speakers from visual and performing arts, sociology, cultural geography, religious studies, ritual studies and anthropology. The event explored the practice and lived experience of ritual activity in different aspects of cultural life and combined illustrated talks with performative lectures and workshop opportunities as well as screenings of related films.