New Directions in Feminism and Media PhD Symposium

Many thanks to our speakers Kirsty Harrod and Shaniece Martin who have shared their reflections on the day:

Kirsty Harrod
PhD Candidate
Centre for Arts, Memory and Communities, Coventry University
“The New Directions in Feminism and Media conference in May brought together researchers from field across academia to present and discuss their work relating to feminism. From the huge range of talk topics – from TikTok to pro wrestling to my work in classical literature – it is clear that feminism has a space and relevance to all aspects of life, history, and society. Think of anything that can be studied and one can study the feminist implications of it. That’s what became clear to me in the New Directions conference.

The second half of the conference title – ‘Research in Times of Crisis and Change’ – encapsulated the feelings and challenges of being a feminist academic today. With women’s rights being rolled back in the US, the cost of living crisis squeezing those who undertake unpaid domestic labour, and the effects of the #MeToo movement still rumbling on, we are constantly reminded that we still live in an incredibly gendered and unequal society. Yet as much as there was anger in our voices, there was also curiosity and hope. From Shaniece Martin’s talk on Indian English female poetry to Hannah Curran-Troop’s on feminist creative enterprises during COVID, this was a space for academics to lift up the work of other women and illuminate the stories of those society has least listened to. The conference provided a fantastic, powerful community of researchers in feminism, one which I hope to regroup with and learn from on a regular basis.

A huge thanks to the organisers who ran such a smooth and fascinating conference!”

Shaniece Martin
PhD Candidate
Coventry University
“As a 2nd year PhD student, I was nervous to step up and present my research for the first time at the New Directions in Feminist Thought Conference 2022 and I don’t know what was better, being a presenter or being a delegate! As a presenter of my research on Indian English Poetry I felt welcomed and heard. As a delegate of the conference, I felt inspired by empowering females and their research whilst also being in a space where I belonged. Despite being online and being spread across numerous time zones, I felt as though the conference did a great job with organisation and creating an inclusive space for all to feel welcome and a part of the conference. Thanks GSRC for hosting the conference & to everyone involved!”