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| Semester | fall semester 2014 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Anja Mauruschat (ania.mauruschat@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | In this course we will study the history of the radio programme of the BBC as a core institution of British culture in the 20th century. Within our general engagement with the BBC we will focus especially on the "BBC Radiophonic Workshop", its output, development and meaning: Set up in 1958 to create new sounds for progressive radio and television shows, the "BBC Radiophonic Workshop" not only coined famous sound marks of the collective cultural memory of Britain, like the Doctor Who theme. The technological possibilities at the workshop also inspired many artists, especially musicians. Even the famous Beatles producer George Martin came to the workshop to learn at this acoustic laboratory from its sound engineers. Due to the consequences of the digital revolution, the "BBC Radiophonic Workshop" had to close down in 1998. Lately it has been revived online as the "New BBC Radiophonic Workshop", conducting again acoustic research, this time under digital conditions. |
| Learning objectives | Students will extend their knowledge about British sonic culture by studying the most important British radio institution and its acoustic laboratory: the BBC and its Radiophonic Workshop. In doing so, they will develop and improve their skills in close reading and close listening and become aquainted with the emerging scientific field of sound and radio studies. |
| Bibliography | - Briscoe, Desmond /Curtis-Bramwell, Roy: "The BBC Radiophonic Workshop. The first 25 years". London: British Broadcast Corporation, 1:1983 - Crisell, Andrew: "Understanding Radio". London, New York: Routledge, 2: 1994 - Hajkowski, Thomas: "The BBC and National Identity in Britain, 1922 – 53". Manchester, Manchester University Press, 1: 2010 - Niebur, Louis: "Special Sound. The Creation and Legacy of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop". Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, Inc. 1:2010 - Théberge, Paul: 'The Network Studio: Historical and Technologial Paths to a New Ideal in Music Making'. In: "Social Studies of Science", Vol.34, No.5, "Special Issue on Sound Studies: New Technologies and Music" (Oct. 2004), p.759-781 The books will be part of the Course Reserve Collection at the library of the English Seminar. Other material will be made available on ISIS and/or ADAM. |
| Comments | Weblinks: Wikipedia Article about the BBC to get a first overview: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC BBC article: BBC Radiophonic Workshop Revived Online: http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-19568120 Yann Seznec: The Secret Sound of Spores: http://www.yannseznec.com/works/spores/ |
| Weblink | ISIS |
| Admission requirements | For BA who have completed their proseminar paper, and MA students. |
| Course application | Please register on ISIS. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|
No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Modul Advanced Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Bachelor's degree subject: English) Modul Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Master's degree subject: English) Modul English & American Literature (Master's degree subject: English (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul Extending the View (Literary and Cultural Studies) (Bachelor's degree subject: English (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul Focusing on the Discipline (Literary and Cultural Studies) (Bachelor's degree subject: English (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul Literatur im Zusammenspiel der Künste und Medien (Master's degree program: Literary Studies) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Regular attendance, active participation, presentation |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |