Up to ten fellows to be selected, $2500 stipends, plus up to $500 (or $1000 for overseas travel) to help defray travel/housing expenses of visiting scholars

Carnival may be defined as street theatre enacted by individuals with a wide range of creative and political agendas. Literal and metaphorical masking and unmasking occur on several levels and in various interstices. We will examine different kinds of carnival events — from officially recognized formal carnivals such as those in Venice or Trinidad that represent nationalist agendas and are commodified accordingly, to informal carnivals, or carnivalesque performances such as Black Indian parades during Mardi Gras that have developed from or on the fringes of formal carnivals, to visual and performing artists who have used carnival themes in their work. The seminar will focus on the interrelationships of symbols and the meanings of carnival events from around the world. This interdisciplinary seminar will explore the changing meaning of the aesthetics and cultural politics of carnival interpreted broadly as the clash of cultural meanings and practices between social actors.

How, we will ask together, has migration influenced the carnival performances and peoples’ participation? If carnival reveals the public secrets and fantasies of a society, how might these have shifted over time? How have the changing conceptions of citizenship and relationships to the nation-state affected the production and performances of carnival and carnival events? How have overseas/diaspora carnivals and re-imagined aesthetic traditions interacted with those from the original ‘homelands’ as is the case with Caribbean carnivals? Is carnival as democratic as proclaimed?

The seminar invites scholars, visual artists and performing artists from as wide an array of fields as possible including but not limited to theatre, visual arts, anthropology, music, dance, history, art history, political theory, literature, Caribbean studies, Latin American studies, performance studies, gender studies, carnival studies, intercultural performance studies, ethno-musicology, and semiotics.
Successful applicants will be expected to develop a first draft of an essay by the start of the seminar. Participants will read and discuss each of the draft essays along with common readings and will attend special presentations by notable speakers. Participants will revise their essays during and immediately following the seminar for inclusion in an edited volume.

Fellows are provided with offices, personal computers, Internet access, technical support, library delivery service, copying, and meeting rooms.

Directors:

Michaeline A. Crichlow, Associate Professor, African-American World Studies, Director of the Caribbean, Diaspora, and Atlantic Studies Program
Loyce L. Arthur, Associate Professor, Head of Design, Theatre Arts Department, The University of Iowa.

Seminar Dates: July 6–16 , 2005
Application Deadline: February 11, 2005

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Qualifications

• Applicants must hold a Ph.D., a terminal degree in their field, or significant professional credentials. Scholars in all fields as well as visual and performing artists with scholarly interests are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Participants should be ready to produce original, previously unpublished work for publication in a volume that will emerge from the seminar, and to participate in sessions devoted to readings, individual papers, invited lectures, and special events. Successful applicants will be asked to submit a first draft of their essay before the seminar begins.
• Participants will be chosen in part to provide sufficient range for a published collection of essays. Some stipends are reserved for competitively-selected University of Iowa scholars.

Application

All applications should contain:

1. Five collated copies of the following:
   • A cover sheet that includes
     • title of your prospectus or draft essay
     • name, rank, department, institution, office address, telephone number, and e-mail address
     • signature of department executive officer (University of Iowa applications only)
   • Letter indicating your interest in the seminar, what you can contribute, and what you hope to gain (maximum two pages)
   • A one-paragraph abstract of the essay that you plan to write for the seminar
   • A prospectus of the essay that you plan to write for the seminar or a draft if you already have begun work on an essay that might be appropriate
   • Curriculum vitae or resumé (maximum three pages)
2. One copy of a writing sample, preferably from a published work

Direct questions to jay-semel@uiowa.edu or (319) 335-4034

Apply by February 11, 2005. Send application materials to:

Jay Semel, Director
Obermann Center for Advanced Studies
N134 Oakdale Hall
The University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA 52242

The University of Iowa prohibits discrimination in employment, educational programs, and activities on the basis of race, national origin, color, creed, religion, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or associational preference. The University also affirms its commitment to providing equal opportunities and equal access to University facilities. For additional information contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, (319) 335-0705.