Prof. Giovanni Giuriati presents Performing a Carnival tarantella. A case study from Montemarano

MUSIC DEPARTMENT RESEARCH SEMINAR
2pm on 18 March 2009
in Howard Recital Room, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes
Prof. Giovanni Giuriati (Sapienza Universita’ di Roma)
Performing a Carnival tarantella. A case study from Montemarano, Southern Italy

All OU Staff/Students Welcome

The Seminar will deal with a processional tarantella performed by clarinet, accordion and frame drum in Montemarano, a village in the mountains near Naples. I will draw a comparison between an analysis of an improvisational process based only on the musical text (that I have done some years ago) and a recent analysis that takes into account the moment of the performance showing how the two differ widely in methods and results.

While the first model yielded significant results, in unveiling what I have termed a kaleidoscopic process of improvisation, this kind of analysis lacks several contextual elements that relate in various ways to the act of performance. Among such elements to be taken into account are: interaction among musicians, interaction between musicians, dancers, and the audience, musical composition and stylistic differentiation among performers, relationship with space, micro and macro time scales, physical effort, rivalry and emulation, musical borrowing and reference to external models such as “ballo liscio” and world music, processes of musical and social change.

Such a complex and dynamic kind of analysis, that should not be intended in a normative way, but rather as a reference and a list of variables rather than a self-confined model, and that must take into account both the contextual elements, and the participant observation of the researcher, allows to better interpret the textual elements of the music.

During the Seminar some sound and video examples will be presented to illustrate the case study.

From email from Dr Laura Leante 08/03/09

Small grants to promote research links between UK and Japan

Daiwa Foundation (UK)
The Daiwa Foundation is a grant giving charity which aims to promote links between the UK and Japan. The Foundation awards grants to individuals and institutions in the UK and Japan in all areas of the visual and performing arts, the humanities, the social sciences, science and engineering, mathematics, business studies, and education. A range of organisations can apply including schools and universities, and grass roots and professional groups.

There are a number of grants programmes available. The most relevant to researchers in the Open University are:

• Daiwa Foundation Awards - Awards of £5,000-£15,000 are available for collaborative projects that enable British and Japanese partners to work together, preferably in the context of an institutional relationship
• The Royal Society Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation Joint Project Grants -These grants support travel, subsistence and research for collaborative projects between British and Japanese researchers in the field of science. The grants available can cover all fields of activity, including educational and grassroots exchanges, research travel, the organisation of conferences, exhibitions, collaborative projects between British and Japanese researchers in the field of science and other projects and events that fulfil the objectives of the Foundation.

Next closing date: 31st March 2009

For more information and application form see website: http://www.dajf.org.uk/

New "Impact Requirements" for AHRC & ESRC grant applications

From 23rd March 2009, applicants for Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) research and fellowship grant proposals are required to include a description in the application of the impact that their research will have on society and the economy.

If you have already been working on an application form on the Je-S system you will find that since 17th February a new section has automatically been added for an impact summary, which has a 4,000 character limit, including spaces and returns. If you are submitting a bid before 23rd March, you need to put in this box the words "Not applicable" and also add an Impact Plan in the attachments section that is a page also just saying "Impact Plan not applicable."

To find the specific guidance for AHRC and ESRC bids, if you click on "edit attachments" in your Je-S form, and then the help link in the top right corner, you will be taken to the attachment page of that councils help text. For ease here are links to the pages for AHRC and ESRC:

AHRC: Click here
ESRC: Click here

Click here for the Je-S Help guidance page which gives the summary information on the requirements.

The impact summary on the Proposal Form should address the following questions:

• Who will benefit from this research?
• How will they benefit from this research?
• What will be done to ensure that they have the opportunity to benefit from this research?

Peer reviewers for research grant proposals will be asked to consider:

• Whether the plans to increase impact are appropriate and justified, given the nature of the proposed research

Note: The impact summary may be published to demonstrate potential impact of Research Council funded research. Please ensure confidential information is not included in this section.

The Case for Support (and/or attached Impact Plan where required) should expand on the information contained in the impact summary and describe what will be done to increase the scale or likelihood of impact. In making your case, you should consider and describe any potential impacts of the research on society and the economy.

Article updated on 24/02/09 after additional email guidance from AHRC.

Small grants for Arts, Humanities and Social Science research on Iraq and neighbouring countries

The British Institute for the Study of Iraq (formerly the British School of Archaeology in Iraq) (BISI) promotes, supports and undertakes research on Iraq and neighbouring countries. Its academic coverage includes anthropology, archaeology, geography, history, language and related disciplines within the arts, humanities, and social sciences from the earliest times until the present.

Development Grants
Grants are available to support development events and projects, such as lectures, study days and popular publications, that relate to Iraq and neighbouring countries and to the areas of interest covered by BISI. A Development Grant will normally be for an amount up to £500, although more substantial grants may be made if merited.

BISI considers applications for Development Grants twice yearly. The deadlines for applications and references are 15 April and 15 October. BISI will let applicants know the decision concerning their application by early July or early January respectively.

Research and Conference Grants
The Institute invites funding applications twice a year for grants in aid of research or for the organisation of academic conferences. All applications and references must be received by 31 January or 31 October in any given year. Awards will normally fall within a limit of £4,000, though more substantial awards may be made.

Applicants must be residents of the UK or, exceptionally, other individuals whose academic research closely coincides with that of the BISI.

For more information see: http://www.britac.ac.uk/INSTITUTES/IRAQ/grants.htm

Keeping up with the techie trends – Twitter

I am guessing that not many people are following this blog yet, but if you are, you may also be curious about Twitter, which seems to be the new craze set to take over from Facebook. Always keen to try out new things, we have also set up a Twitter account and if you become a ‘follower’ we’ll post messages to alert you that the blog has new information. If you have a Twitter account and an application on a mobile device such as phone or iPod do a search for “OUArtsFunding” or have a look here.

Christian Trust Fund - possible small grants for research

The Sir Halley Stewart Trust funds two areas that may be of relevance to researchers in the Arts faculty (and/or possibly for inter-faculty collaboration), but this is a very long shot and is only included in this blog as reference information rather than encouragement to apply. The two areas are:

• Research focussing on developments in medical ethics (under their 'Medical' priority)
• Innovative projects which aim to facilitate a better understanding between faiths (under their 'Religion' priority)

Types of grant given: Grants are normally given in the form of a salary. The Trustees prefer to support innovative and imaginative people - often early in their research career - with whom they can develop a direct relationship. Applications should be submitted by those directly involved in the work - not development offices or paid fundraisers. (However, if any OU academic were to apply to this Trust they would need to follow OU procedures and receive RED Form approval). Sometimes a contribution towards the expenses of a project are given.

Grants are normally limited to 2 or 3 years, but are sometimes extended. They are paid to or through registered UK charities.

More information about this Trust and examples of projects and research that they have funded in the past can be found on their website at: http://www.sirhalleystewart.org.uk/index.html

Small research grants to study conflict phenomena and peace strategies

The International Peace Research Association (IPRA) Foundation provides small research grants (up to $3000) to support systematic observation or study of conflict phenomena and peace strategies. For more information please see: http://www.iprafoundation.org/application.shtml