British Association for Victorian Studies Conference 2012

Victorian Value: Ethics Economics, Aesthetics

Thursday 30th August – Saturday 1st September

I suppose the persons interested in establishing a school of Art for workmen may in the main be divided into two classes, namely, first, those who chiefly desire to make the men happier, wiser and better; and secondly, those who desire them to produce better and more valuable work (John Ruskin)

The 2012 conference of the British Association for Victorian Studies will be held in Sheffield, the thriving heart of the Victorian Steel Industry. In 1875, on the outskirts of the city, John Ruskin established the Museum of St George, a collection of art objects and natural artefacts displayed for the aesthetic education of the city’s workers. Inspired by Ruskin, the theme of this year’s conference aims to explore the relationships between different kinds of value in the Victorian period, to return to the period’s central debates about how to measure, establish and uphold value in the emergent modernity of Victorian Britain, and to think about the representation and legacy of those values both in and beyond the field of Victorian Studies.

Key-Note Speakers

Professor Dinah Birch (University of Liverpool)
Dr Simon James (Durham University)
Professor Francis O’Gorman (University of Leeds)
Dr Wendy Parkins (University of Otago, New Zealand)

Location

The conference venue and accommodation are all located at The Edge, a purpose-built facility just outside Sheffield city centre. Please see here for a map of The Edge and here for general travel information.

Alternative accommodation suggestions are listed in a document on the right hand side of this page.

Postgraduate Bursaries and Conference Reporters

BAVS has provided a number of postgraduate bursaries, which will contribute £100 towards the cost of attendance. If your paper has been accepted and you would like to apply for a bursary, please send a copy of your CV and a 300-words statement explaining how the theme of the conference relates to your research to: bavs2012@gmail.com by 31st May.

Each year BAVS also provides 2 bursaries of £100 to postgraduate conference reporters who will write a report of the conference, to be published in the BAVS newsletter. As a reporter, you do not need to be presenting a paper at the conference. If you would like to be considered for the role of conference reporter, please send your CV and a 300-words statement explaining how the theme of the conference relates to your research to bavs2012@gmail.com by 31st May.

Please note, if you would like to be considered for both bursaries, you do not need to apply twice, just mention it in your application.

Fees and Registration and Online Booking Form

The cost of the conference is as follows:
All-inclusive (conference, accommodation and meals): £272
Post-graduate and unwaged all-inclusive: £200
Standard (no accommodation): £185
Postgraduate standard: £150
Day rate: £75

You can now book online here.

Please note that the fee no longer includes BAVS membership. To become a member of BAVS, or to renew your membership, please follow this link.

Registration will be via the online shop, which can be accessed by following the link on the right hand side of the page. Registration will be open until 31st July.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the conference, please send us an email bavs2012@gmail.com.