The Study Sessions: Monuments Should Not Be Trusted
The Study Sessions are informal reading and discussing groups. This season's sessions will touch upon subjects explored in our exhibition Monuments Should Not Be Trusted.
Thu 28 Jan, 6.30-8.30pm
Humour in former Yugoslavia: the soft underbelly of the official state rhetoric
Led by Dr Maja Mikula, this study session will look at the ways former Yugoslavs ‘laughed up’ at authorities, ‘laughed down’ - often benevolently - at particular ethnic and minority groups within the country’s diverse cultural tapestry; and ‘laughed together’ with others, sometimes at their own perceived idiosyncrasies, to re-affirm allegiance to their imagined communities. Parallels will be drawn with the popular humour in other socialist countries during the Cold War period.
Thu 11 Feb, 6.30-8.30pm
Mapping Yugoslavia through popular culture
Dr. MajaMikula, Nottingham Trent University, on the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia, including the failure of ideology to locate a shared space. The idea of former socialist Yugoslavia as a common homeland to the six constituent national groups and numerous ethnic minorities was promoted by the state through ’soft’ means of persuasion. The exuberant richness of the country’s natural landscapes and cultural histories was offered as a template for an inclusive supra-national belonging, and sustained through popular culture, organised travel and state-sponsored forms of social ritual.
Thu 25 Feb, 6.30-8.30pm
Constructing and Deconstructing Yugoslavia: The role of Youth Movements
Olivia Hellewell and Laura Todd of The University of Nottingham look at the role of youth movements in the construction of Tito's Yugoslavia. Youth movements played an important role in the construction of Tito's Yugoslavia - from the Youth Labour Brigades to the Pioneers. Each year, on May 25th, young people would run a relay race across Yugoslavia to congratulate President Tito on his birthday. Yet in the 1980s, young people also played a significant role in deconstructing that same mythology, with music, journals and other alternative forms of cultural expression.
Event:
The Study Sessions: Monuments Should Not Be TrustedDates:
28 Jan 2016 – 25 Feb 2016Supported by:

