Group for War and Culture Studies

Dr. Nikki Cooper (n.j.cooper@bristol.ac.uk) and Dr. Martin Hurcombe (m.j.hurcombe@bristol.ac.uk) are both members of the GWACS Steering Committee. 
They also coordinate GWACS West and the Annual Symposium.

In 2006, there will be no symposium as the University of Bristol are hosting the annual GWACS conference, details of which appear at:
http://www.bris.ac.uk/arts/birtha/centres/war_withoutlimitsconference.html

Aims of GWACS

The Group for War and Culture Studies was established in 1995 at the University of Westminster to undertake and promote research into the relationships between war and culture in France and Francophone countries in the twentieth century. From 2001, the GWACS has further developed its interdisciplinary approach and extended its geographical coverage to include France's main allies and adversaries throughout the twentieth century, while retaining its distinct emphasis on cultural history and cultural production as significant forces that have shaped the experience, representation and memory of war.

Key aspects of the Group's work are its focus on the forms and practices of cultural transmission in time of war, and the analysis of the impact of war on cultural identity and international cultural relations. Recent books by members of the Group have addressed printed images and personal messages on postcards from the Front in the First World War, the use of myth and metaphor in all media used for propaganda purposes from 1914 to 1964, and the ways in which the memory of the war experience has been commemorated and represented.

One of the Group's main aims is to foster inter-disciplinary work by specialists in cultural, social and political history, literature, all forms of visual representation, and in related aspects of social sciences. The GWACS is international in scope, with some 200 scholars from 14 countries around the world participating in its activities.

Activities

GWACS holds regular research seminars, an annual conference, and an on-going series of debates about educational issues relating to war and culture studies.

A Bulletin is published twice a year, giving a list of events run by the GWACS, and passing on information about conferences and publications on behalf of other institutions.