The Woolf Arts Archive, a global project devoted to the collection and appreciation of art inspired by the life and works of Virginia Woolf, held its inaugural major public event.
Panelists at the Woolf Arts Archives symposium
Titled “Following an Author’s Trail: Virginia Woolf, the Woolf Arts Archive and Freshwater: A Comedy” symposium, the event was held March 6 in Ankara, Turkey.
About the symposium
The event brought together scholars, artists, and theatre practitioners to explore Woolf’s enduring influence across different art forms.
It featured a rich exchange of ideas with numerous talks addressing themes also relevant to International Women’s Day.
The sessions ranged from the Woolf Arts Archive’s creative role to Woolf’s artistic and cultural legacy, including her female characters and the afterlife of her works. A highlight of the symposium was the Woolf Arts Archive’s performance of the third staged reading of Freshwater in Turkish.
Featured talks
- “Following an Author’s Trail: Virginia Woolf and Woolf Arts Archive” by Prof. Dr.
Mine Özyurt Kılıç. - “A Shell of Many Layers: Woolf Arts Archive and the Snail’s Journey” by Atahan
Mahir Karabiber. - “From Drops to Waves: Woolf Arts Archive as a Basin” by Tuğba Çanakçı.
- “Dimbola Lodge as a Precursor to the Bloomsbury Group” by Nidanur Yıldırım.
- “Flawed Eyes and Faces Behind the Visible: Julia Margaret Cameron, Diane Arbus, Vivian Maier and; Cindy Sherman” by Independent Artist/Curator Can Akgümüş.
- “Representation of Female Characters in Fictional Texts” by Dr. Abdullah Özdemir.
- “Freshwater as a Play” by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Z. Gizem Yılmaz.
- “Waves Hitting the Stage: Translating Woolf” by Dr. Ercan Gürova.
TED University’s Department of English Language and Literature hosted the event, which was supported by TEDU WIL (TED University Women in Literature).
Mine Özyurt Kiliç, professor of English at Social Sciences University of Ankara, Turkey, and a member of the International Virginia Woolf Society (center), conceived of the archives project and made it a reality with the help of a dedicated team. Team members include Can Akgümüs, Atahan M. Karabīber, and Tugba Canakci.
