[Discussion] 2006 International Congress of Byzantine Studies, London, 21-26 August 2005

[Onur İnal]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_007B_01C58C93.A59984F0
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="iso-8859-9"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

2006 International Congress of Byzantine Studies=20

The 2006 International Congress of Byzantine Studies will be held in the =
United Kingdom. Preparations are already underway. The organisation of =
the Congress will be coordinated by Professor Anthony Bryer of the =
University of Birmingham.
As requested at the Call to Arms by Convenor at SPBS Symposium in =
Oxford, and in BBBS, 27 (2001), pp.95-96 (see below), members are =
invited (no requested - nay required) to propose 8 major themes (and =
overall title) for BYZCONG2006 by 1 June which will be discussed by =
officers on 8 June as the basis of an outline scheme to be presented to =
AIEB at BYZCONG2001 in Paris. Kindly submit all ideas and suggestions to =
the convenor, Professor Bryer.
First Report of the Convenor
At an Inter-Congress Meeting in Athens in 1998, the Association =
International d'Etudes Byzantines accepted the bid of its British =
National Committee to hold the 21st International Byzantine Congress in =
2006. At its meeting in Birmingham in April 2000, the British National =
Committee accordingly appointed a free-standing steering committee for =
the Congress, responsible to it and the AIEB, but with powers of =
co-option. Appointed and co-opted members of the Committee include =
Anthony Bryer (Convenor), Averil Cameron, Robin Cormack, James Crow, =
Judith Herrin, Liz James (Secretary), Elizabeth Jeffreys (Deputy =
Convenor), Ruth Macrides, Marlia Mango, Margaret Mullett and Rosemary =
Morris. The Committee met in Oxford in August 2000 and in London in =
December 2000. The principle decisions so far taken are that the =
Congress will be held on 21-26 August 2006 in London, with a mid-week =
excursion to Oxford. A major factor which influenced the decision for =
London was the expectation of major associated Byzantine Exhibitions =
there.
The first (and last) International Byzantine Congress to be held in =
Great Britain was the 13th, at Oxford in September 1966, which proved a =
memorable stimulus to, and formative influence on, the international =
development of our subject. Forty years on I am not concerned that our =
subject has, like others, inflated or disintegrated, because the =
evidence of International Congresses and national Symposia is that it =
remains remarkably cohesive - perhaps because our field belongs both to =
none and to all. Nor do we fancy that by 2006 an International Congress =
can be held on the internet. The evidence is that there is no substitute =
to meeting fellow-Byzantinists, arguments and objects face to face in =
the controlled environment of our own Dome - also that the practical =
number of Congressionists who can most conveniently hear, speak, see, or =
meet each other within one week is no more than 1,000: bigger is not =
better. On such a scale, we are not alarmed by the logistics of holding =
an International Congress, its funding, housing, publication, =
exhibitions and parties. Thanks to the accumulated experience of holding =
the Society's Spring Symposia (of which the 40th in 1996 will be =
subsumed in the Congress) there is probably more expertise available in =
this country than any other as to how best to run such a meeting - and =
do it in style. The great difference is that while British Byzantine =
Symposia are run by a local Byzantine centre for a national =
organisation, the Congress will be promoted by your national committee =
for the international Association, with which we share its own needs. =
Now we have found a site in Bloomsbury and a date in 2006, there is as =
much time as Justinian gave his architects to build his Dome and you =
must now think what it is for.
The most interesting, challenging and (dare one say it), educational, =
task is what to put in our Dome. As hosts of the Congress all members of =
the SPBS are not just invited to contribute their views and expertise, =
but will be badgered to do so, through reports in this Bulletin, the =
SPBS website, and at our annual Symposia, beginning at Oxford in March =
2001. The SPBS is, with its overseas members, the most broadly-based, =
active and informative of all national Byzantine organisations through =
which members may make their views known.
Byzantine, like other international Congresses, have increasingly =
dispersed topics to those willing to take them on (and whose =
institutions sponsor them), with answers seeking a question. While such =
voluntary participation will remain an essential element, our thinking =
is that BYZCONG2006 will be distinguished, in the tradition which has =
developed in Britain since 1966, by being directed and didactic - after =
extensive discussion. You formulate and ask the questions: we will find =
means of answering them - well, that is the theory which in fact may =
work the other way round and the International Association will have its =
own agenda for this is an essentially international meeting to which we =
submit a table-d'h=F4te. But in principle, your Congress will have an =
IDENTITY and eight major THEMES, each introduced by three commissioned =
papers. The questions are to identify and define which Themes and =
Speakers will, but should, be important to our subject in 2006. This is =
an exercise not just in predicting, but promoting, in sequence, Themes =
and a new generation of Speakers to address them. By the 20th Congress =
in Paris in August 2001 (the example of which will be important), we =
must present a thematic scheme. Thereafter main Speakers, drawn from all =
countries and disciplines, must be commissioned before an inter-Congress =
meeting. At every stage we will seek your advice and opinion, which we =
may not take but will always accept your support.
To start the ball rolling, I propose ARCHAEOLOGY as a major theme - easy =
enough, because Byzantine archaeology is a discipline which always =
promises something new. But what are the questions? Where are the =
examples? Who is to speak for them? Keep thinking. All contributions are =
gratefully received by:

For more information
http://www.byzantium.ac.uk/frameset_2006congress.htm

------=_NextPart_000_007B_01C58C93.A59984F0
Content-Type: text/html;
	charset="iso-8859-9"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Diso-8859-9">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1498" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff background=3D"">
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT face=3DSylfaen><STRONG>2006 International =
Congress of=20
Byzantine Studies </STRONG></FONT></DIV><FONT face=3DSylfaen>
<DIV align=3Djustify><BR>The 2006 International Congress of Byzantine =
Studies will=20
be held in the United Kingdom. Preparations are already underway. The=20
organisation of the Congress will be coordinated by Professor Anthony =
Bryer of=20
the University of Birmingham.<BR>As requested at the Call to Arms by =
Convenor at=20
SPBS Symposium in Oxford, and in BBBS, 27 (2001), pp.95-96 (see below), =
members=20
are invited (no requested - nay required) to propose 8 major themes (and =
overall=20
title) for BYZCONG2006 by 1 June which will be discussed by officers on =
8 June=20
as the basis of an outline scheme to be presented to AIEB at BYZCONG2001 =
in=20
Paris. Kindly submit all ideas and suggestions to the convenor, =
Professor=20
Bryer.<BR>First Report of the Convenor<BR>At an Inter-Congress Meeting =
in Athens=20
in 1998, the Association International d'Etudes Byzantines accepted the =
bid of=20
its British National Committee to hold the 21st International Byzantine =
Congress=20
in 2006. At its meeting in Birmingham in April 2000, the British =
National=20
Committee accordingly appointed a free-standing steering committee for =
the=20
Congress, responsible to it and the AIEB, but with powers of co-option.=20
Appointed and co-opted members of the Committee include Anthony Bryer=20
(Convenor), Averil Cameron, Robin Cormack, James Crow, Judith Herrin, =
Liz James=20
(Secretary), Elizabeth Jeffreys (Deputy Convenor), Ruth Macrides, Marlia =
Mango,=20
Margaret Mullett and Rosemary Morris. The Committee met in Oxford in =
August 2000=20
and in London in December 2000. The principle decisions so far taken are =
that=20
the Congress will be held on 21-26 August 2006 in London, with a =
mid-week=20
excursion to Oxford. A major factor which influenced the decision for =
London was=20
the expectation of major associated Byzantine Exhibitions there.<BR>The =
first=20
(and last) International Byzantine Congress to be held in Great Britain =
was the=20
13th, at Oxford in September 1966, which proved a memorable stimulus to, =
and=20
formative influence on, the international development of our subject. =
Forty=20
years on I am not concerned that our subject has, like others, inflated =
or=20
disintegrated, because the evidence of International Congresses and =
national=20
Symposia is that it remains remarkably cohesive - perhaps because our =
field=20
belongs both to none and to all. Nor do we fancy that by 2006 an =
International=20
Congress can be held on the internet. The evidence is that there is no=20
substitute to meeting fellow-Byzantinists, arguments and objects face to =
face in=20
the controlled environment of our own Dome - also that the practical =
number of=20
Congressionists who can most conveniently hear, speak, see, or meet each =
other=20
within one week is no more than 1,000: bigger is not better. On such a =
scale, we=20
are not alarmed by the logistics of holding an International Congress, =
its=20
funding, housing, publication, exhibitions and parties. Thanks to the=20
accumulated experience of holding the Society's Spring Symposia (of =
which the=20
40th in 1996 will be subsumed in the Congress) there is probably more =
expertise=20
available in this country than any other as to how best to run such a =
meeting -=20
and do it in style. The great difference is that while British Byzantine =

Symposia are run by a local Byzantine centre for a national =
organisation, the=20
Congress will be promoted by your national committee for the =
international=20
Association, with which we share its own needs. Now we have found a site =
in=20
Bloomsbury and a date in 2006, there is as much time as Justinian gave =
his=20
architects to build his Dome and you must now think what it is =
for.<BR>The most=20
interesting, challenging and (dare one say it), educational, task is =
what to put=20
in our Dome. As hosts of the Congress all members of the SPBS are not =
just=20
invited to contribute their views and expertise, but will be badgered to =
do so,=20
through reports in this Bulletin, the SPBS website, and at our annual =
Symposia,=20
beginning at Oxford in March 2001. The SPBS is, with its overseas =
members, the=20
most broadly-based, active and informative of all national Byzantine=20
organisations through which members may make their views =
known.<BR>Byzantine,=20
like other international Congresses, have increasingly dispersed topics =
to those=20
willing to take them on (and whose institutions sponsor them), with =
answers=20
seeking a question. While such voluntary participation will remain an =
essential=20
element, our thinking is that BYZCONG2006 will be distinguished, in the=20
tradition which has developed in Britain since 1966, by being directed =
and=20
didactic - after extensive discussion. You formulate and ask the =
questions: we=20
will find means of answering them - well, that is the theory which in =
fact may=20
work the other way round and the International Association will have its =
own=20
agenda for this is an essentially international meeting to which we =
submit a=20
table-d&#8217;h=F4te. But in principle, your Congress will have an =
IDENTITY and eight=20
major THEMES, each introduced by three commissioned papers. The =
questions are to=20
identify and define which Themes and Speakers will, but should, be =
important to=20
our subject in 2006. This is an exercise not just in predicting, but =
promoting,=20
in sequence, Themes and a new generation of Speakers to address them. By =
the=20
20th Congress in Paris in August 2001 (the example of which will be =
important),=20
we must present a thematic scheme. Thereafter main Speakers, drawn from =
all=20
countries and disciplines, must be commissioned before an inter-Congress =

meeting. At every stage we will seek your advice and opinion, which we =
may not=20
take but will always accept your support.<BR>To start the ball rolling, =
I=20
propose ARCHAEOLOGY as a major theme - easy enough, because Byzantine=20
archaeology is a discipline which always promises something new. But =
what are=20
the questions? Where are the examples? Who is to speak for them? Keep =
thinking.=20
All contributions are gratefully received by:<BR></DIV></FONT>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT face=3DSylfaen>For more information<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.byzantium.ac.uk/frameset_2006congress.htm">http://www.=
byzantium.ac.uk/frameset_2006congress.htm</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Djustify><FONT =
face=3DSylfaen></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_007B_01C58C93.A59984F0--