Interdisciplinary Centre for Narrative Studies
Report on NarCS Workshop 3, 15th-17th July 2013
List of attendees:
Richard Walsh (York)
Susan Stepney (York)
Leo Caves (York)
Jim Bown (Abertay)
Lynn Parker (Abertay)
Maria Poulaki (Amsterdam)
Merja Polvinen (Helsinki)
Marthe-Sophie Zeevenhooven (impact partner - documentary researcher)
Adam Lively (Royal Holloway)
Virtual / in absentia:
Marina Grishakova (Tartu)
James Dyke (Southampton)
Alan Winfield (UWE Bristol)
Emma Uprichard (Warwick)
Programme:
15th July:
Introduction. Apologies. Reports on progress with current funding bids (Richard, Susan, Jim): Leverhulme, AHRC, EPSRC, COST, others. Further funding prospects; broader developments in the conception of the project; discussion.
Narrating Complexity Part I: (scene setting): discussion of the introductory material led by Richard, Susan, and Leo.
16th July:
A Simple Story of the Complex Mind? A Rhetorical Analysis of Cognitive Science Texts. (Merja)
Switches, feedbacks and integrators - how networks network (Jim)
Using interviews to narrate complex socio-spatial and temporal dynamics (Google hangout with Emma)
How can we tell the story of the earth? (Google hangout with James and Emma)
Augmenting Communication: Peering at Narratives and Complexity through a Digital Arts Lens. (Lynn)
Gardening Complex Systems, and other metaphors (Leo, Susan)
Plato with a movie camera: visually thinking of complexity (Marthe)
Complex Films for Complex Minds (Maria)
Presentation from Adam Lively (PhD, Royal Holloway, cognitive narratology)
17th July:
When Robots tell each other Stories, or The Emergence of Artificial Fiction. (Google hangout with Alan)
Future grant bid development: EPSRC, "Ingenious" public engagement awards
Discussion of Adam’s presentation
Sense and Wonder: Complexity and the limits of Narrative Understanding (Richard)
Summary
Day 1: We began by reviewing the state of current funding applications:
1) Leverhulme (network and project grant) – outline applications submitted.
2) COST – Jim emphasized the key criteria to be met: emphasis upon people exchange (early career mobility); new concepts and “products” (exhibition, software); European partnerships, but with worldwide categories also available (adjacent, affiliated...); five countries; trans-domain proposals (two or more COST domains – e.g. engineering, ICT). Our application to be framed around three nodes: social robotics, environment (evolution? climate change?), and healthcare (cancer?). The deadline is 8/11/2013, and Jim agreed to draft the application.
3) EPSRC – Susan discussed the merits of applying for a pilot project v. a large project; the former would mean selecting one from the three themes just discussed for COST. We returned to this discussion on day 3.
The Discussion of the introductory section of the book centred on the appropriate purpose and orientation of the chapters. The work of chapter one is clearly to set the scene by discussing the occasion for the book in relation to our collaboration, to explain the interdisciplinary methodology involved, and to outline the premises and hypotheses driving the inquiry, and questions we will be addressing (there may be a need for a separate chapter on the last point, at the head of part two). We felt that chapters two and three needed to be in some sense “for dummies,” but with a particular consideration for what might be of interest and relevance to researchers on “the other side.” Each should explain what its research field is, what you can do with its tools, why it is important; it should provide accessible examples and it should explain key terminology (we also agreed that a glossary for the whole volume would be a valuable addition to the contents). We considered whether the current chapter titles were too restrictive. We also agreed that each should have a post-script response from the perspective of the other (i.e. by Susan and Richard). Leo outlined the aim in chapter four, which will trace the relations among different approaches to complex systems, to systems more broadly, and to kinds of systems theory. We agreed that this chapter might be better placed as the first chapter of section two.
Day 2: The day was dedicated to discussion of the chapter abstracts/outlines presented by members of the group, including Google hangouts with Emma and James. The materials from these discussions will all be uploaded to the “Workshops” folder within the NarCS Community’s shared folder. The hangouts worked well, after some initial technical challenges and with judicious muting of the microphone to avoid excessive feedback; this is a method we can use again and perhaps refine (e.g. with a better microphone setup). The technical delays and the extensive discussions of contributions meant that the original programme slipped somewhat; we did not have time to discuss Marina’s abstract (for which the group are referred to the workshop folder), or to have a retrospective discussion of the shape of the volume as a whole; the discussion of Adam’s presentation was postponed to day 3, as was Richard’s presentation.
Day 3: The day started with another hangout to hear and discuss Alan’s presentation; this also allowed for Alan to contribute to a discussion afterwards on the EPSRC bid, and the RAE Ingenious Awards. We agreed, especially in the light of Alan’s presentation, that the social robotics theme would be the ideal focus for a pilot project EPSRC application; Alan also agreed to develop a distinct Ingenious Award bid focussing upon public engagement, in consultation with Richard and Susan, for the deadline at the end of September. The rest of the morning was taken up with the deferred discussion of Adam’s talk, Richard’s talk, and discussion of it.
Action Points
- Expenses claims ASAP (everyone)
- Upload abstracts/materials/presentations for book chapters to the “Workshops” shared folder (everyone)
- Draft RAE Ingenious awards bid for September deadline (Alan, Richard, Susan)
- Write draft essays by October (everyone)
- Draft COST bid for 8/11/2013 deadline (Jim, in consultation with Richard, Susan, et al.)
- Frame preliminary inquiry to EPSRC (Susan, Alan, Jim, James, Richard, others?)