Black British and British Asian screen media goes under the spotlight at UON event

A network for those interested in black British and British Asian screen media will hold its first event at the University of Northampton in February.

The Diaspora Screen Media Network was set up in 2019 to bring together scholars, students and creatives with an interest in screen studies and new media.

The organisers will be holding a symposium at the University on Wednesday 5 February which is open to creative practitioners, community arts organisers, consultants, researchers and the public.

The research question, ‘what is the impact of social media on consumption patterns of diasporic cinematic and media culture in modifying its themes and issues’, will be debated during the event through presentations, a round table discussion and a workshop.

Short films of black British and British Asian cinema will be made available in advance, for attendees to view and serve as a discussion point in the session.

Funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council, the network is jointly led by the University of Northampton’s Professor in English and Postcolonial Studies, Janet Wilson, while UON’s Senior Lecturer in English and Screen Studies, David Simmons, is its research coordinator.

The symposium takes place on Wednesday 5 February, between 9am and 5pm, at the University’s Waterside campus.

Attendees are encouraged to submit 300-word profiles on their interest and work in Black British and British Asian screen media, for loading onto the network website. They can also submit a 500 to 800-word blog on their experience in this area.

For more details visit the website and for enquiries about attending the symposium email david.simmons@northampton.ac.uk.