I’m writing to let you know about the upcoming Clifford Symposium at Middlebury College [September 24-26]. Presenters, including local disability activists and artists, will be reflecting on the theme of ‘The “good” Body.’ Organizers of this program hope that this program will spark meaningful conversations about systems of power and privilege, and the connections between disability, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and other identities. We hope that you and colleagues at Champlain College will join us for these program; we’d be delighted to welcome your students as well.
I especially want to note that Vermont-based disability activist Eli Clare will be presenting at this conference. Disabled dancer-coreographer Toby McNutt (also from Vermont) will be leading a dance workshop as well. There are other exciting presentations planned for this conference, too. Below is a general description of the conference, as well as details about these presentations.
Symposium Description: At this moment in time the body has literally and figuratively come under fire for being deemed ‘bad’. Bodies play a large role in defining our public and private identities. The ways in which we use our bodies give clear indications of beliefs, access, and cultural values. The way others react to the ways in which we use our bodies also indicate belief, access, and value. We propose a symposium that centers on the ‘good’ body to explore central liberal arts questions. What counts as a “good” body, who has one (or doesn’t), and why? The many different answers to these and related questions impact every body in our Middlebury community and beyond. Technological and medical innovations over the years directly impact bodies, shaping concepts of worthiness, beauty, health, and function. Broader contexts also matter. Cultural forces, systems of power and privilege, and time and place all contribute to the meanings of “good” and “body” as well as “good body.”
Additional information, including biographies of the presenters, can be found on the Clifford Symposium website.
Friday, Sept. 25
9:00-10:00 am: Presentation by Eli Clare [in the Mahaney Center For The Arts Concert Hall] (ASL interpreting provided).
1:30am-3:00 pm: Masterclass and discussion with Toby McNutt [Mahaney Center For The Arts: room 110 Dance Theatre].
Address:
MAHANEY CENTER FOR THE ARTS CONCERT HALL (Middlebury College)
72 Porter Field Road
Middlebury VT
—
Susan Burch, Ph.D.
American Studies Program
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT 05753
802 443 5866 (v)