CA 2022: Back Together By The Bay

 

Swansea University was the wonderful host of the 2022 CA Conference when hundreds (a classis of classicists?) flocked to the seaside to enjoy a weekend of papers, panels, pop-up discussions and plenty of long-overdue catching up over Welsh cakes in the Taliesin Centre.

Thanks to the tremendous organisation of Dr Ian Goh, Dr Maria Oikonomou and their brilliant team of Swansea staff and student helpers, the four-day programme ran smoothly and online audiences joined to watch from afar (bar a few technical difficulties). There was a real sense of community and camaraderie very gladly restored after more than two years of pandemic delays. 

On the opening evening, after a splendidly warm welcome from Professor Elwen Evans QC, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean for the faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, we were treated to the premiere of a unique CA Presidential Address – a film, produced by Morphology Media, featuring 2021-22 President Stephen Fry in conversation with former CA Prize winner Professor Michael Scott. #FryandScott discussed Stephen’s long-held love for the ancient world, explored why Greek mythology is so timelessly engaging (as he captures in his trilogy Mythos, Heroes and Troy) and how ‘Classics is all around us’. Conference goers were delighted to see whom he would select if faced with ‘the Judgement of Stephen’ – just one of a range of entertaining questions posed by entrants to our Creative Writing Competition – and there was lots of audience participation in the quickfire round, with much deliberation over the best ancient fancy dress costume! You can watch some short clips as well as the full video on our YouTube Channel and Instagram.   

The Conference is a chance for academics, teachers and researchers, at all stages of their careers and interests, to present their latest findings about Classical topics, and to stimulate debate, discussion and knowledge exchange amongst the wider Classics community. Papers and panels ranged from the reception of Sappho to experimental archaeology, from Egypt in Latin Literature to Classics in sci-fi films, from ancient food to neurodiversity and from Aristophanes to teaching Achaemenid history. Indeed, there was a great array of pedagogy panels and teacher events across the programme and it was brilliant to also welcome colleagues from the UK’s leading Classical publishers and providers, EDI reps from across the country, handlers from The Egypt Centre, and our friends from Asterion and the new Classics For All Welsh hwb, as well as members of CA branches, CA colleagues, undergraduate students and many others to the Conference.

             

The evenings, too, were filled with Classical delights - with readings from a trio of brilliant writers, Emily Hauser, Jennifer Saint and Charlotte Higgins, which were followed by the presentation of our annual Teaching Awards at the Conference Banquet and announcement of the very worthy winner of the 2022 CA Prize, Dr Cora-Beth Fraser, and of our incoming President Professor M.M. McCabe.

                         

The CA Conference is a prestigious event in the UK Classics calendar but scholars wear their intellect lightly; it was lovely to soak in the friendly, welcoming atmosphere and see such warmth, collaboration and inclusive debate – and there was even time for some seafood and sand with a stroll along the beach in the Swansea sun!

 

We look forward to welcoming you all to Cambridge University in April 2023. If you would like to find out more about presenting a paper, please click here.

Katrina Kelly, CA Engagement Coordinator