Cyprus workshop

Cyprus Workshop 18, 19, 20 March

‘Participation, Media Representation and the Financial and Political Crisis’

Outline

The Cyprus workshop explores the impact of the financial and political crises and how these relate to media representation, everyday life and popular responses. One of our intentions is to give as much information to our network partners on what happened in Cyprus and how this relates/links/contrasts with/ to different contexts in Greece, Bulgaria, Ireland and UK through contributions from participants in the wider project as well.

We also intend to give opportunities for people from different situations/locations in Cyprus, such as the inner city of Nicosia, communities that are under-represented in the media, and people in rural areas to voice their opinions/interpretations.

Plan

Day 1: 18 March 2015

Panel 1 – The Crisis, Discourse and Media: Responsibilities and Pragmatics

• (a) What discourses are articulated semantically in times of crisis?
• (b) How do market conditions and policy environment structure the media industry, and what role did that play in coverage of the crisis, austerity and protests?
• (c) How did information sourcing impinge upon media coverage of the financial crisis, austerity and protests?
• (d) Where does the responsibility of media principally lie: giving the public access to the information it seeks or ensuring that powerful bodies and actors are publicly accountable?

Panel 2 – Performative Arts/Music & Crisis

Following the listening/radio event at The Altius Hotel on the first evening. Some content from Cyprus University of Technology’s community media initiative and some live poetry may also feature.

• (a) How were responses to and the experience of the crisis and austerity “staged” in different artistic forms (here music is highlighted for discussion, but other artistic forms can feature relatedly)? What differences are discernible across different contexts?
• (b) Are artistic performances effective for articulating protest?
• (c) What is the relationship between such artistic performances and the experience of crisis and austerity on the ground, in everyday life?

Day 2: 19 March 2015

Panel 3 – Media Framing/Media Narrative and The Crisis

• (a) What kinds of ideological investments are made in media framing of the 2007-onwards financial crisis and austerity measures? (This will be considered in relation to specific themes, such as immigration, questions of identity.)
• (b) Is unframed and ideology-free representation possible?
• (c) What differences are found between media catering to domestic constituencies and to an international/transnational market?

Panel 4 – Inner City Nicosia and The Crisis

Following a walk in Nicosia, exploring how the inner city urban hub has changed in the last few years. Hosted at Utopia Collective.

Key issues:

• (a) The city as a surface/spectacle on which crisis and austerity leave an imprint;
• (b) The city as a performance space on which both establishment and anti-establishment moves are enacted. 

Day 3: 20 March 2015

Panel 5 – Crisis in a Rural Setting: visit to the village of Lythrodontas, meeting with village representatives.

Key issues:

• (a) The difference between urban and rural areas in experiences of the crisis and austerity;
• (b) The difference of the extent to which these areas register in media and academic attention.  

Locations

• Altius Hotel – 2 PANELS day 1
• University of Nicosia – 1 Panel day 2
• Utopia Collective – 1 Panel day 2
• Lythrodontas – 1 Panel day 3