International Conference on the Narrative Practitioner
16 April 2007
The North East Wales Institute of Higher Education (NEWI), based in Wrexham is organising an international conference entitled ‘The Narrative Practitioner: Developing Excellence in Research, Education and Practice’ in collaboration with the School of Applied Global Ethics, Leeds Metropolitan University.
The conference will be held in Wrexham at NEWI between 11 and 13 June 2007 and will bring together professionals and practitioners from all corners of the world including the USA, Canada, Europe, Africa as well as universities throughout the UK. The conference, on the uses of narrative in research, education and practice, will be addressed by a number of keynote speakers. These include Professor Donald Polkinghorne, University of California; Roshan Doug, Birmingham Poet Laureate 2000 – 2001, Professor Gavin Fairbairn from Leeds Metropolitan University and Dr Alex Carson from Head of NEWI’s School of Health, Social Care and Sport and Exercise Science
Professor Donald Polkinghorne who will talk on the ‘The Narrativity of Practice’ is a professor in the division of Counseling Psychology and holder of the Fahmy and Donna Attallah Chair in Humanistic Psychology. His scholarly specialty is the philosophy of social science. His particular area of interest is the cognitive processes used by mental health and educational practitioners in making judgments and decisions and his current research projects are in the areas of hermeneutics and qualitative research, narrative and self-identity.
Gavin Fairbairn is Running Stream Professor of Ethics and Language. He describes himself as ‘a teacher and jobbing philosopher’ and thinks he has two really useful skills – the first in asking really difficult questions, and the second in ‘catching’ what other people are trying to say in their written work and helping them to say it better. His academic and professional interests focus on two main areas – academic literacy and style, and applied philosophy and ethics, especially the ethics of care. He will present a keynote speech on Storytelling, Ethics and Academic Writing during the conference.
Roshan Doug was Birmingham's fifth Poet Laureate and is also the Arts Editor of the award winning Spice Lifestyle, the only Asian cultural magazine in Britain. He has taken part in many literature festivals across the country and his work has been covered in newspapers and on television, both in Britain and abroad. Roshan works with both students and professionals, offering poetry workshops across the country. He will talk about his work and its links to learning through his keynote speech entitled ‘The Business of Poetry’.
As well as a host of international speakers, the conference will include photographic and art exhibitions, workshops and performances from musicians, storytellers and performance artists including the storyteller and musician Robin Williamson, formally of the Incredible String Band; The Dancing Masters and the ‘Sacred Clown’ by Didier Danthois.
The cost of the conference including two nights’ accommodation, conference dinners on the 11th and 12th June and entertainment is £399 or £349 excluding the accommodation. Places can be reserved by calling 01978 293567.