HISTPLAY · The History Play and the British Enlightenment, 1750-1815

The History Play and the British Enlightenment, 1750-1815

The aim of this Fellowship is for the researcher, Dr David O’Shaughnessy, to develop the professional prowess, advanced training, high-impact dissemination, and practical experience commensurate with a leading independent researcher in the EU. The researcher will be based for 15 months at the Huntington Library, California (HL) supervised by Professor Kevin Gilmartin and for 12 months at the School of English, Trinity College Dublin (TCD) supervised by Dr Aileen Douglas. Research training will be implemented through an interdisciplinary project investigating the importance of the history play to the discussion and dissemination of Enlightenment ideas in the two main London theatres of the eighteenth century, Covent Garden and Drury Lane, 1750-1815. The key output will be the first monograph to be written on the eighteenth-century history play but the project will also communicate knowledge to a public audience through appropriate activities. On the outgoing phase of the Fellowship, the researcher will access expertise, advanced training, mentoring as well as having access to the Larpent Collection of theatre manuscripts at the HL, the most important archive in the world for the study of eighteenth-century theatre. Due to its unique archive holdings, the HL is the only institution in the world that can host this project; it also has collaborative relationships with Caltech and the University of Southern California (USC) which will benefit the research in significant ways. In TCD, the researcher will be given the opportunity to embed his new knowledge through undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, conferences and a symposium, and continued research. The resources of the host institutions will facilitate development of an interdisciplinary and international academic network as well as career-mentoring. The project's importance to society can be demonstrated in a number of its objectives. Firstly, the project will produce the first full-length study of the history play in the eighteenth century. Secondly, it will consider the relationship of the theatre and the dissemination of Enlightenment ideas and culture. Thirdly, it was build new and strengthen existing relationships between US and European institutions. Finally, it will provide the PI with international mobility.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз