CALL FOR PAPERS: The Legacy of Watership Down: Animals, Adaptation, Animation An interdisciplinary symposium University of Warwick Saturday 10th November 2018   Keynote speaker: Dr Chris Pallant (Canterbury Christ Church University) 2018 marks 40 years since the release of Watership Down, Martin Rosen’s acclaimed 1978 animated film.

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CALL FOR PAPERS: **The Legacy of** *Watership Down***: Animals,
Adaptation, Animation**

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interdisciplinary symposium

University of Warwick

Saturday 10^th^ November 2018

 

**Keynote speaker: Dr Chris Pallant (Canterbury Christ Church
University)**

2018 marks 40 years since the release of *Watership Down*, Martin
Rosen's acclaimed 1978 animated film. Adapted from Richard Adams' 1972
children's novel, it tells the tale of a group of anthropomorphised
rabbits who flee the imminent destruction of their warren in search of a
safe haven. In recognition of the film's 40^th^ anniversary, this
one-day symposium seeks to foster academic discourse on this landmark of
British animation from a range of disciplinary perspectives.

A beautifully-realised piece of animation, the film has inspired
filmmakers including Guillermo del Toro, Wes Anderson and Zack Snyder.
Yet the film is best remembered for its legendary status as an
emotionally traumatic viewing experience, especially for children. This
is in part due to Art Garfunkel's tearjerker 'Bright Eyes', a hit single
written for the film. *Watership Down* is also known for its graphic
violence which seems directly at odds with its BBFC 'U' certificate
(indicating that is suitable for all ages) and its subject matter of
anthropomorphised rabbits. Thanks to this ambiguous status as a
'children's film', *Watership Down* consistently remains the subject of
public debate, as epitomised by public outrage in the UK over Channel
5's decision to broadcast the film on the afternoon of Easter Sunday two
years running. Conversely, the film has recently been raised in
favourable comparison to the live-action/CG hybrid *Peter Rabbit*
(2018), spurring questions surrounding the role of violence and matters
of taste in children's media. In addition, *Watership Down* bears timely
socio-political relevance: it demonstrates the dangers of human impact
upon the environment and the need to overcome totalitarian authority, as
represented in the film by the fascistic villain General Woundwort. In
an uncertain political climate that includes the rise of neo-Nazism, it
seems more appropriate than ever to ask what audiences of adults and
children alike can still learn from this landmark of British animation.

In light of the film's continued relevance, this symposium seeks to
explore the *Watership Down*'s ongoing cultural legacy and impact, 40
years since its first release. This may be in relation to the above
themes, but this event also intends to broaden the dialogue beyond these
headline-grabbing topics and draw attention to more overlooked aspects
of the film's form, aesthetics, and place in British cinema and
animation history. Further possible topics include but are not limited
to:

- Adaptation (including the film's relationship with other adaptations
  of the novel)
- Music and sound
- Stardom and voice performance
- Genre and generic hybridity (e.g. horror, fantasy, the epic, animal
  stories, children's cinema)
- Animal studies (especially representations of rabbits in
  popular/visual culture)
- The relationship between animals, animation and children's media
- Representations of nature/the countryside
- Eco-critical perspectives
- Allegory
- Gender and sexuality
- Audience and memory studies
- Fan studies
- Meme studies
- Folklore
- Mortality and morality
- Broadcast, classification and censorship
- The work of Martin Rosen (i.e. *Plague Dogs*)
- Influences upon *Watership Down* and its influence upon subsequent
  media

It is the intention that selected papers from the event will be
published in the form of an edited book collection.

Please send 300-word abstracts (for 20-minute papers) with a short
author biography to Dr Catherine Lester
[c.lester.2@warwick.ac.uk](mailto:c.lester.2@warwick.ac.uk){target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer"} by 30^th^ June 2018.

For further information please contact the above address or refer to
the website [watershipdown40.wordpress.com](http://watershipdown40.wordpress.com){target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer"} or
Twitter [@watershipdown40](http://twitter.com/watershipdown40){target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer"}.

Funded by the Humanities Research Centre, University of Warwick.


CALL FOR PAPERS:

 The Legacy of


 Watership Down


 : Animals, Adaptation, Animation

An interdisciplinary symposium University of Warwick Saturday 10

 th

November 2018

 Keynote speaker: Dr Chris Pallant (Canterbury Christ Church University)

2018 marks 40 years since the release of

 Watership Down

, Martin Rosen’s acclaimed 1978 animated film.

CfP: symposium &#8220;The Legacy of Watership Down: Animals, Adaptation, Animation&#8221;. Nov 10, 2018 @ University of Warwick (UK). Deadline: Jun 30, 2018.

Postagens de Rogue Scholar

CfP: symposium “The Legacy of Watership Down: Animals, Adaptation, Animation”. Nov 10, 2018 @ University of Warwick (UK). Deadline: Jun 30, 2018.