Researching Gender, Sexuality and the Arts in Contemporary Africa

This workshop, hosted by the Leeds University Centre for African Studies, offers a space for researchers in the Arts and Humanities to present and discuss current work relating to issues of gender and sexuality in contemporary African contexts. It is an opportunity for cross-disciplinary conversations about the empirical, methodological, ethical and political dimensions of art- and culture-based approaches to African gender and sexuality research, to learn from each other, and stimulate further conversations and potential collaborations.

The workshop is in-person only, and is open to postgraduate research students and academic staff of the University of Leeds with an interest in the topic. To confirm your attendance, please email Dr Adriaan van Klinken.

Presentations:

• Tendai Mangena (School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science): “The sexual/intimate lives of Shona unmarried women”.
• Matthew Elliot (School of Performance and Cultural Industries): “Navigating the narratives in mental health and masculinities: arts-based approaches and grassroots knowledges in Kenya and Uganda.”
• Gloria Adichie: "The Tales of Biafran Women Expressed Through Art."
• Megan Robertson (School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science): “Dope Divine Feminism: Exploring religion, sexuality and race in South African hip hop.”
• Aylwyn Walsh (School of Performance and Cultural Industries): “The Queer Undead: South Africa's tropes of harm and repair.”
• Megan Fourqurean (School of English): “Mami Wata and Gender Fluidities in Contemporary Nigerian Literature.”

The workshop concludes with a public lecture by Dr Gibson Ncube (Stellenbosch University), titled “Waste/Wastage: The Danger of Single Men in Heteropatriarchal Africa". This presentation takes place in Baines Wing SR (2.10) from 16:00 to 17:30h:  and can also be joined online. For more details, see this webpage.