1. A celebration of the contribution of Doctor Who and all of its spin-offs to modern society.
2. The promotion of general British culture, Welsh culture, and Arts and Humanities education.
3. Increased communication between academics and the general public on common ground.
Timed to anticipate the 45th anniversary of the premire episode and located in Cardiff, the main filming location of all three current series, we intend to have two full days of academic programming devoted to various aspects of the complex and multi-layered 'Whoniverse.' The specifics of the programme will be based upon the abstracts we receive, but we anticipate the following types of papers and posters:
Internal to the Series:
Who's History?
An examination of the historical events shown, referenced, or used symbolically or allegorically in the series.
Who's Society?
Looking at the various social trends and changes reflected over the course of the series (e.g., feminism and women's liberation, gay rights, etc).
Who's Mythology/Religion?
Looking at the various mythico-religious and folklore elements in the series.
Who's Morality?
Issues of differing moralities shown in all of the series. This will be done in an open discussion format which has been used successfully in the United States.
External to the Series:
Societal:
The impact of the “Whoniverse”on British and/or global society.
History:
The history of the series in a greater context (e.g., as a reflection of societal changes).
Literary/Film Studies:
Genral anaylsis of the series as literature and/or film.
Case Study:
Using the series as an example of a greater issue,
In addition to the papers, posters, and discussion panels, we hope to arrange a walking tour of some of the filming locations in Cardiff city centre and Cardiff Bay, as well as an opening night reception for all attendees.
