Designing Cultural Studies: Beyond Theory and Practice
As part of the BMBF-funded project Plan_CV, a career cluster was established at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences to promote cross-university collaborations. Within the framework of the cluster, researchers from the TH Köln and the University of Cologne are designing cultural studies from a practical perspective. Although cultural scientists usually focus their research on socio-critical aspects, communicate their studies to society and cooperate with practice partner institutions, there has been a lack of overarching and interdisciplinary projects in which individual perspectives are systematically brought together.
The aim of this cluster is first, to identify socially relevant topics and possibilities for the application of cultural studies. For this purpose, alternatives to a dichotomous order of theory/practice are to be sought. Second, the project will map the arsenal of methods of cultural studies understood in this way, especially with regard to the contact zones between scientific and artistic research. Finally, the project will debate the transfer, mediation and communication perspectives of practice-oriented cultural studies. The cluster addresses conditions of cooperation with non-academic institutions. The cluster’s questions will be pursued and further developed within the framework of jointly conceived conferences, exhibitions and publications. A first conference is planned for November 2023.
Members:
Dr. Philipp Bojahr (Cologne Game Lab, TH Köln)
Sonja Gaedicke, M.A. (Institute for Gender Studies, TH Köln)
Prof. Marco Hemmerling (Faculty of Architecture, TH Köln)
Prof. Dr. Carolin Höfler (Speaker, Köln International School for Design, TH Köln)
Prof. Dr. Ulrike Lindner (Institute of History, University of Cologne)
Prof. Dr. Regina Urbanek (Cologne Institute of Conservation Sciences, TH Köln)
Dr. Alexander van Wickeren (Scientific Coordination, Faculties of Cultural Sciences & Architecture, TH Köln)
Prof. Dr. Martin Zillinger (Ethnology, University of Cologne)
Image: Luna Smolka, PRO:PER – Produktivitätsperspektiven, 2022