Workshop preparation

I'm starting to prepare for a workshop I am running as part of the Narrative Symposium at UCE later this Spring. I spent some time yesterday with Sue Thomas and Bruce Mason over at DMU talking through possibilities, and picking their brains for formats, approaches and sample texts. The aims of the workshop are:

• to increase awareness of the diverse range of narrative forms being exploited in new media
• to think about how these challenge ideas of what narrative is and can do
• to develop ideas for using this in pedagogic contexts.

The workshop will have a pre-symposium element, where delegates can collaborate beforehand on these topics, then have the face-to-face meeting, then have a post-symposium 'write-up'. I am now venturing into the world of wiki as a platform for the pre and post symposium collaborations. Part of me is really excited about what possibilities this holds for shaping new developments between colleauges, changing the way we in the humanities often teach paper/text oriented subjects, and breaking down academic barriers of all kinds. Another part of me is scared that it is not going to work!

The challenges are many: not least, seeing the extent to which the delegates will be willing to be transliterate, to explore territory which is perhaps not their own, to find time to do something 'extra' as well as the research, teaching, administration and administration and oh, did I forget to mention it, administration? Maybe I am being a little pessimistic here. Maybe everyone will come on board swimmingly. I am determined to have great fun and learn a lot in the process anyway.