Overview
CILAVS, the Centre for Iberian and Latin American Visual Studies, is based in the School of Arts and brings together Birkbeck researchers from the departments of Cultures and Languages, History of Art, Film Media and Cultural Studies, Geography, Law, Politics and Psychosocial Studies. Created in 2007, it is now an established hub for research networks in the UK and overseas, promoting the best research on the history and theory of visual culture in the Hispanic and Lusophone worlds and supporting research in the cultures of Iberia, Latin America and the Afro-Hispanic and Afro-Lusophone continent.
The Centre has attracted very substantial research grants from AHRC, British Academy, Leverhulme Trust and other bodies, including private donors, and enabled collaborative doctoral partnerships with organisations outside of higher education, including the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Royal Society and Victoria and Albert Museum. CILAVS has also brought to London some of the most important artists, filmmakers and scholars in the Iberian and Latin American fields: Carlos Monsiváis, Pedro Costa, Luis Camintzer, Roger Bartra, Jean Franco, Cecilia Vicuña, John Beverley, Karim Aïnouz and Trifonia Melibea Obono Ntutumu, to name just a few.
Opportunities for PhD students
CILAVS offers a rich and varied programme of activities including talks, workshops, film screenings and festivals. It has also organized conferences, book launches, exhibitions at Birkbeck’s Peltz Gallery and many other public events in collaboration with other Research Centres in the School of Arts, Birkbeck Institutes and beyond.
The Centre is very keen to involve interested Research students from across the College in its activities and will offer support in the organisation of student-led activities including, for example, reading groups, workshops, talks and conferences. Javier Vicente Arenas, currently CILAVS’ student representative and member of its steering committee, says:
Doctoral research can be a very solitary undertaking. However, for those working or interested in the fields of Iberian and Latin American Studies, CILAVS offers a unique opportunity to meet other students, share our ideas and interests, and showcase our research and academic achievements. This can lead to unexpected synergies among students while having a positive impact on our research and CV. Moreover, CILAVS is keen to support students’ initiatives, so do get involved!
We will love to hear from any Research students at Birkbeck working on any aspect of the cultures of Iberia, Latin America and the Afro-Hispanic and Afro-Lusophone continent. If interested, our contact details are below.
Contact
- Mari Paz Balibrea, CILAVS Director: m.balibrea@bbk.ac.uk
- Javier Vicente Arenas, CILAVS Student Representative: javiervicentearenas@gmail.com
