| Summary: |
This Intensive Programme (Socrates) aimed to contribute to the creation of a common European culture by encouraging the interdisciplinary study of the works of William Shakespeare, the playwright whose popularity transcends all national boundaries. Annually, and on three consecutive occasions, the programme brought together undergraduates from four European Universities with interests in English Literature, Comparative Literature, Theatre Studies, Translation Studies, etc. All three editions of the programme took place at the university of Ferrara (Italy). The other universities involved were the Freie Universität Berlin and the Universiteit Utrecht. The programme's main activities included lectures and a theatre workshop. By focusing on intercultural issues (such as those raised by translation), with some added emphasis on colonial and post-colonial cultural phenomena, the lectures also investigated the role played by Shakespeare's works in the construction of national identity, cultural models and stereotypes. The appropriations and re-readings that Shakespeare's work has found in a variety of media were also a dominant dimension of the contributions offered by the programme's international academic staff. Finally, the theatre workshops afforded students a direct contact with staging. |