RE:SEARCH.COM
York St John, Faculty of Arts Research Community
“There are those who seek, looking to
find—even knowing they will almost necessarily find something other
than what they are searching for. There are others whose research
is precisely without an object….To find, to search for, to turn, to
go around: yes, these words indicating movement, but always
circular. It is as though the sense of searching or research lay in
its necessary inflection in turning….The centre allows finding and
turning, but the centre is not to be found. Research would be,
perhaps, that rash seeking determined always to reach the centre
instead of being content to act in response to its point of
reference.” - Maurice Blanchot
RE:
SEARCH.COM is the new badge for the York St John, Faculty
of Arts research community.
RE:SEARCH.COM is an umbrella term over-arching a
shifting and developing plurality of research activities ranging
from ‘world-leading’ publicly-funded research projects to private
obsessions and speculative shots in the dark.
RE: SEARCH.COM will be committed to both
capturing all of the (sometimes hidden) strands of research taking
place in the Faculty within and across the staff and student
community, as well as encouraging new initiatives, collaborations
and a genuinely searching approach to research. Currently
supporting four avenues of research dissemination and conversation
- RESEARCHLINES, The Thinkery, Lunchtime Artists' Talks, and
Studio Talks in Arts and Narrative - the fundamental
ambition of RE: SEARCH.COM is to support our
active researchers while, at the same time, looking beyond the REF
towards a research community still to come.
Research 24
Times a Second
Set up and run by postgraduate students,
‘Research 24 Times a Second’ is a new initiative for 2013 that
seeks to enhance learning and share knowledge of the wide range of
research specialisms covered by York St John University’s
postgraduate students.
The Thinkery
Led by postgraduate
students, the Thinkery seeks to enhance learning and share
knowledge of a wide variety of philosophical thought. Loosely
structured as a reading group, members meet twice-monthly to
discuss the work of a particular thinker or philosophical movement.
There are no set texts as such, rather members are encouraged to
read something written by or on the chosen author(s): be it the
Wikipedia entry, a biography, an inspirational beer mat or the
entire works... ;)
The aim of the Thinkery is to instigate discussion from a range of
different texts that will be brought to the table each month, in
the interest of sharing reading experiences, interpretations, and
opinions. We hope to provide an informal and positive environment
to air thoughts and ideas, and contribute to one another’s
knowledge.
“What is unthought in a
thinker’s thought is not a lack inherent in this thought. What is
un-thought is there in each case as the un-thought. The more
original the thinking, the richer will be what is unthought in it.
The unthought is the greatest gift that thinking can
bestow” - Martin Heidegger
A series of fortnightly
lunchtime talks from invited artists across a range of disciplines
and perspectives. Attended by staff, postgraduate students and
undergraduates, the focus of the series is practice-based research
and the exploration of how artists articulate their work as
reflexive practitioners. The talks play a vital role in modelling
examples of artistic discourse and practice and making links
between creative practice within university and professional
contexts. The post-talk discussions allow dialogue to develop
across and between staff, students and visiting artists.
“I’m by nature tongue-tied and
only a terrific interest in something can squeeze a few words out
of me. When I listen to painters who have a way with words…I become
a little uneasy about whether I can find language beautiful and
spirited enough to convey my enthusiasm and passion for the objects
of the visible world. However, I’ve finally calmed myself down
about this…do your job and let those who can, talk”
- Max Beckmann
Talking Research
Talking Research is a forum
for Faculty of Arts’ staff to discuss their current research in an
informal setting.
The aim of these meetings is to begin
a conversation on the developing shape of the research culture in
the Faculty of Arts as we move towards a post REF period and the
University’s application for Research Degree Awarding Powers in
late 2013.