The past is prologue: The Treachery of Images

A seminar by Dr Justin Mac Gregor (Head of School Creative Arts) as part of the School of Creative Arts Research Forum.

Abstract:
Justin Mac Gregor's arts practice focuses on trying to bring, to as wide an audience as possible, little known stories and histories that broaden our understanding of real events by utilizing the point of view of people who were there while history unfolded around them. This work is not always popular.
The question underlying this presentation is: why?
This talk will try to answer that question by looking at the true stories he has been developing as a writer and as Head of Transatlantic Content at MindRiot Entertainment, (which he runs with Jonathan Keasey, a WGA writer from Seattle).
About the speaker:
Justin is the Head of the School of Creative Arts at TCD. A film and theatre-maker, his first feature, The Vigil (for Kurt Cobain) screened at festivals from Vancouver to Mumbai. His latest documentary, Is There Anybody Out There? Young Voices from Inside a Pandemic premiered at the Virgin Media Dublin Int’l Film Festival in 2021. The documentary was a collaboration with 61 student filmmakers form 15 countries examining COVID’s impact. It has won 10 awards to date.
MacGregor’s award-winning theatre work includes the anti-war trilogy A Slow Dance With Death and he was Writer in Residence for Prague UNESCO City of Literature during the 30th Anniversary of the Velvet Revolution in 2019 where he worked with the Vaclav Havel Library researching a little known part of the playwright’s life. A researcher whose creative arts practice is his research, his focus is on bringing forward powerful true stories.

The School of Creative Arts Research Forum meets weekly on Mondays from 10am-11am in the Neill Lecture Theatre in Trinity Long Room Hub. The aim of the Forum is to provide a space for School researchers, both staff and postgraduate students, to share their ideas in an informal and supportive environment. It is also an opportunity for the School to hear about the research of colleagues both from within TCD and from outside the university who share our research interests. In line with the research agenda of the School, talks encompass traditional research and practice-based research.


Please indicate if you have any access requirements, such as ISL/English interpreting, so that we can facilitate you in attending this event. Contact: weiyi@tcd.ie