AHRC Research Centre for Cross-Cultural Music and Dance Performance
The Centre supports postgraduate training in each of the partner institutions through student involvement in training projects relating to analysis systems, recording techniques, and the documentation and contextualization of data, with specific links to all the Centre’s projects.
At SOAS, work arising from postgraduate training may form part of course assessment within the MMus degree programmes. Training is divided into three key areas, all of which are included annually. First, we offer a training programme in music recording, utilizing the Centre studio, where a Mackie digital desk and a Mac-based Pro-tools system form the central components, in addition to field recording at concerts and other events. Second, we have begun to work with Palm Pictures to develop a programme of training in filming and DVD editing. These aspects of training support Centre projects directly.
The third key area is a series of research seminars, which began in January 2004 and are usually held on the last Friday of the month. Research seminars are aimed at postgraduate students and academic staff but are open to the general public. Presenters are encouraged to circulate papers in advance to enhance discussion. Past speakers have included Matthew Cohen (University of Glasgow), Stephen Jones (SOAS), Janet O’Shea (UniS), Daniel Meyer-Dingkrafe (Wales, Aberystwyth), Margaret Coldiron, Marie-Gabrielle Rotie (Goldsmiths). In September 2005 the Centre , together with Akademi and the magazine Pulse hosted a 'Come and Meet Dr Kapila Vatsyayan' event, in which dancers, students and researchers had the opportunity to interact informally with one of the most prominent Indian dance scholars of our time.
