Transforming Masculinities

Artistic-scientific symposium

About
How diverse are masculine modes of existence at present? To what extent can they be understood between normative interpellations by enduring standards of hegemonic masculinity and departure towards counter-designs? What are the similarities and dif-ferences between the various fields of research? What starting points for criticism can be identified? And how can artistic approaches to this topic be made productive for research and vice versa?

From the perspective of various empirical gender research projects and in exchange with artistic positions, the symposium "Transforming Masculinities" explores these questions. In this dialogue, we not only want to trace the persistence of the norms of hegemonic masculinity, but we will also look for starting points for transformation pro-cesses and already existing counter-designs in mutual inspiration of art and science.

The symposium is a cooperation between the doctoral program of the Center for Gen-der Studies at the University of Basel, the inter-university PhD program Gender Studies CH, the Kaserne Basel and The Art of Intervention.

The events of the Symposium will be held in German and/or English; the language of each event is marked accordingly.

The workshop is aimed at doctoral students as well as PostDocs conducting research on masculinities. All other events are open to the public.

Program overview
Thursday, 18 November 2021
19.30 Book launch “Zeitdiagnose Männlichkeiten Schweiz” with Apéro, Buchhandlung Labyrinth, Nadelberg 17 (G)

This summer, a unique anthology on masculinities research in Switzerland was pub-lished. The book brings together 11 research contributions that contribute to a time-diagnostic assessment of the persistence and change of gender relations from the per-spective of critical men's and masculinities research. The editors and authors provide background information and motivations for the creation of this multifaceted book as well as insights into its content.

Friday, 19 November 2021
9 – 17.30 Workshop, ODELYA & AYLEDO (G & E)
19.15 Keynote by Jeff Hearn “Patriarchal Entrenchments and Transforma-tive Possibilities: Men and Masculinities as Sites of Polarizing Strug-gle”, via Zoom (E)
20.00 Performance Touch Isolation, Kaserne Basel (E, G subtitles)

Saturday, 20 November 2021
9.30 – 13h Workshop, ODELYA & AYLEDO (G & E)
14 – 16.00 Host Club Transforming Masculinities, Kaserne Basel (G & E)

In the Host Club we put our heads together. At six tables, artists mingle with researchers and visitors. The hosts of the discussion tables offer inputs, questions and moderate the open conversation. In small groups, participants talk about masculinity as a con-cept, discuss how dominant masculinity holds up as a norm in art and science, and ex-change imagined as well as lived counter-designs. What do our experiences of mascu-linity(-ies) have in common? How does the supremacy of attributes described as mas-culine manifest themselves in music/on stage/at home/on the street? And what ap-proaches are there to challenge them?
20.00 Performance Touch Isolation, Kaserne Basel (E, G subtitles)

Sunday, 21 November 2021
17 – 18.30 Roundtable Masculinity in Arts, Kaserne Basel (G)

Time and again we hear about abuse of power, choleric outbursts and sexual assaults in the cultural sector. And again and again, this is not surprising. Loud, dominant, infal-lible - as long as behaviors that are closely linked to the stereotype of the masculine genius continue to give their representatives massive professional advantages, nothing will change. Instead of adopting these characteristics, we need to establish other ways of working and role models. How can we anchor sensitivity, silence, empathy and vul-nerability as important aspects of interaction in the structures of cultural institutions? Moderated by Theresa Beyer (journalist and curator), the roundtable will bring to-gether representatives of the cultural business from various sectors. After the panel on gender relations in the cultural sector in March of this year, we will now focus on the role of masculinity in the gears of power relations. (In cooperation with Pro Helvetia.)

Roundtable participants: Andrea Zimmermann (Center for Gender Studies, project leadership pilot study gender relation in the Swiss cultural sec-tor, Pro Helvetia), Noemi Grütter (Festival Les Créatives, Co-editor Le Carnet Rose), Marcel Bieri (leadership B-Sides Festival), Marcel Schwald (theater/performance artist, association of independent theater professionals in Switzerland).
19.00 Performance Touch Isolation, Kaserne Basel (E, G subtitles)

Registrations for the workshop and the keynote until 5 November via roan.schmid@uni-bas.ch
Ideally with a note on whether you wish to attend the host club, performance and the roundtable as well.

For those who are not participating in the workshop please register for the host club and the panel discussion via buero@kaserne-basel.ch and for the performance Touch Isolation tickets are available via the link below.

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