Autism and Classical Myth: Our Mythical Childhood - Introducing the Roehampton wing of the ERC Project

Why classical myth and autism?

Why classical myth and autism?

The idea for this project started to take shape at a meeting in 2008 with a special needs teacher, who mentioned that, in her experience and those of her colleagues, autistic children often enjoy classical myth. I began to wonder why this might be the case, and whether – as a classicist who researches, and loves, classical myth – there was anything I could contribute. I started this blog to report on my progress which was often sporadic until the launch of the Warsaw-based European Research Council-funded project Our Mythical Childhood (2016-22) to trace the role of classics in children’s culture.

My key contribution to the project is an exploration of classics in autistic children’s culture, above all by producing myth-themed activities for autistic children. This blog shares my progress, often along Herculean paths, including to a book of lessons for autistic children focusing on the Choice of Hercules between two very different paths in life. The image above, illustrating the homepage of this blog, is one of the drawings by Steve K. Simons, the book's illustrator, of a chimneypiece panel in a neoclassical villa at Roehampton in South West London. The lessons centre on this panel.

Tuesday 31 January 2017

Our Mythical Childhood - Introducing the Roehampton wing of the ERC Project

Previously on this blog I've included details of events I'm involved in that bear in some way on autism/classical mythology. I'm currently getting quite a buzz out of organising another such event. I mentioned it in my previous posting last week: it's an event to introduce the work being done at Roehampton for the Our Mythical Childhood project - including my work on autism. Here's the text of the notice I've put out.

Booking is open here.

Over the next 5 years, the University of Roehampton will be part of an international project, funded by the European Research Council, to develop a pioneering approach to the role of classics as a transformation marker in children's and Young Adult contemporary culture. This event, held during the 2017 ERC Week, will introduce the Roehampton wing of the project. It will include presentations from the following academics who will introduce how their work is unfolding:

Susan Deacy - autism and classical myth

Sonya Nevin - vase animations on mythical themes

Katerina Volioti - gods and other mythical creatures in literature for young children

You will also hear about the major survey of classical mythology in children's culture which is being collected by scholars around the world.

All are very welcome.

Where and when: Thursday 16th March 2017, 5.00pm-6.30pm in the University of Roehampton's beautiful (and mythologically rich) Adam Room in Grove House.
Further information on the project

ERC Website: http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/205179_en.html

Roehampton News: https://www.roehampton.ac.uk/humanities/news/funding-received-to-research-benefits-of-ancient-myths-for-children-diagnosed-with-autism-/

Sonya Nevin's animations blog: http://panoplyclassicsandanimation.blogspot.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/784466598373583/

Twitter: @OMChildhood