The 9th Annual Scottish Word and Image Group (SWIG) Conference will take place later this week at the University of Aberdeen. Members of the public are invited to the opening Public Lecture, New Light on Snow White: art, adaptation and ideology in Disney's film, given by Professor M. Thomas Inge of Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Virginia, USA on Friday May 10 at 5.30pm at King's College, Room KCG8, University of Aberdeen.
Childhood is the theme of this year's one-day Conference with a number of speakers discussing images of and narratives relating to children and childhood. Academics from across the UK, France and the US are expected to attend this event on Saturday May 11 at the Regent Lecture Theatre, King's College, University of Aberdeen.
A major issue being highlighted at the Conference is the development of comics for both children and adults. Chris Murray of Dundee University and Roger Sabin of St Martin's College of Art, London will discuss images of children and childhood in superhero and underground comics. Two other speakers will discuss attempts by the Nazis in Germany and France to develop 'appropriate' beliefs and attitudes and their contribution to children's education.
Dr Iain Davidson of the University of Aberdeen's Faculty of Education and coordinator of SWIG said; "SWIG attempts, through its annual Conferences, to highlight the varied ways in which words and images interact in our daily lives, in art, TV, business cards, adverts and so on. This year's Conference uncovers several examples - some of them unpleasant - that are served by many media using words and images together."