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Festival of Ideas Global Research Institute Schedule of Events
Event 1 Nigerian Drum Performance September 26 - 7:30 p.m. The Nigerian Talking Drum has long fascinated musicians from around the world. Little accurate information about this unique member of the percussion family has been known outside of Nigeria. Recently I traveled to Nigeria to learn more about the tradition of “DunDun” and found a fascinating history as well as a vibrant current use of this instrument. This article[presentation] introduces information on the drum, the traditional performers, and how they can literally “speak” mimicking/producing the pitches and rhythms of the Yoruba language. A Yoruba proverb states “drumming makes the people happy.” The Yoruba believe that you cannot talk fully about their culture and tradition without speaking about the talking drum because it is a source of history, poetry, proverbs, and daily life. Learning and playing the drum helps us understand a little bit more of the diversity and opportunities in the world of Music. Event 2 Disabilities Studies Mini-Conference October 17 - 12:30 p.m. Organized by Dr. Sarah Rose (Assistant Professor of History), this event will bring educators and professionals from across North Texas to UT Arlington to discuss issues in academia students with disabilities may face. Event 3 "Female Heroes in Fact and Fiction" March 24 - Time TBA Geraldine Brooks is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Her most recent novel, Caleb’s Crossing, was a New York Times best seller. Other novels, Year of Wonders and People of the Book, are international bestsellers, translated into more than 25 languages. Brooks's lecture will be the keynote in the 2014 Women's History Month Lecture Series. Event 4 Cynthia Ann and Quanah Parker Symposium April 17-18 The two-day symposium will explore the interaction between Native Americans and Anglo-Americans in 19th century Texas. The symposium will be held in conjunction with a photo exhibit on Cynthia Ann and Quanah Parker, sponsored by the Center for Greater Southwestern Studies, which will be held in the Sixth Floor Parlor, Main Library, from April-May 2014. This event is also sponsored by the Native American Studies Association, Phi Alpha Theta, the Department of History and Friends of the Library.
The Festival of Ideas began in 2005 with a generous donation by UT Arlington alumnus Mustaque Ahmed (’81). In 2007, that support grew into an endowment to further strength the program’s ability to offer six events each year to the university academic community and the community at large. These events have included lectures by scholars in History, Linguistics, Middle Eastern Studies, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Political Science, and Physics; presentations by artists and writers about their creative work; and concerts and theatrical performances. “Mustaque Ahmed’s generous gift for the College of Liberal Arts’ Festival of Ideas Global Research Institute, as it supports a vibrant and illuminating program of events for everyone on our campus and in our community, enhances our faculty and student research in international cultures, histories, languages, literatures, and the arts,” said Dr. Beth Wright, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. “We are very grateful for this support of our excellence in education, research scholarship, and creative activity. ” The Festival of Ideas Global Research Institute not only guarantees the continuity of the Festival of Ideas events but provides a venue for research into the world’s significant cultural and intellectual issues, integrating the scholarship and creative activity of UT Arlington’s faculty and graduate students with the insights gained from presentations by world-renowned experts who visit the UT Arlington campus.
Supporters of the College of Liberal Arts have a rare opportunity to help expand this program. Current plans including symposia, faculty and graduate research support, and bringing world-renowned speakers to the UT Arlington campus. If you would like to find out how you can support this program, please call or email development officer Myke Holt at (817) 272-1055 or mholt@uta.edu.
If your event meets the requirements described in Program History, email Dr. Beth Wright, Dean of Liberal Arts, for more information. |
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