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The Archive of Performances of Greek and Roman Drama (APGRD) project approaches the understanding of Greek and Roman tragedies and comedies through gathering evidence about their performance and traces their evolving significance through the way they have been received in performance practice. The APGRD has had significant impact on theatrical performance through its lively interaction with practitioners in the theatre and other performing arts, which has expanded the repertoire of classical drama, and through the commissioning of new work. This research has provided significant cultural and pedagogical benefits through being presented in various public forums (radio, lectures, exhibitions) and through the creation of a searchable open-access online database of more than 11,000 productions from the Renaissance to the present.
Reappraisals of modern responses to antiquity by members of Liverpool's Receptions Research Group (Paul, Hobden and Harrison) from 2004 to 2013 have had impact upon the methods, perspectives, and practices of members of creative communities internationally. Our research thus enables new ways of thinking and forms of expression and benefits practitioners in terms of their personal and professional development.
Three separate examples are included in this case study:
(1) Film-makers: Analysis by Paul of the biopic Alexander (2004) led Hollywood director Oliver Stone to re-appraise his approach to the subject (2009) and thereby reflect upon his methods as cinematic story-teller.
(2) Media practitioners: Hobden's research into ancient world documentaries and the associated Documenting Antiquity workshop (2013) has created opportunities for British media professionals to explore and refine understanding of their own practice, thus contributing to their professional development.
(3) Theatre producers: Harrison's work on Herodotus and empire inspired Australian artist Alison Richards to reconceptualise how performance theatre might contribute to political conversations in `X marks the spot', a theatrical performance paper by the artist (performed in August 2010).
Research 2005-12 has opened up new perspectives on Herakles-Hercules, tracing links between the ancient hero and his post-classical incarnations, and laying the foundations for further study of Hercules' long-lasting cross-cultural significance. The impact has three strands:
Public understanding of the classical world has been informed and enhanced through new editions of the prestigious and internationally acclaimed Oxford Classical Dictionary (OCD) and its spin-off publications. These key reference items, which have sold in high numbers and been translated into several languages, are available in specialist, university, college and public libraries worldwide, thereby benefitting a wide range of users, including the general public, students, school pupils, and fellow professionals.
James Davidson's research has overturned a decades-old consensus about the nature of sexual identity and same sex relations in Ancient Greece. The research has been communicated to wider publics through print and online media, popular publications and public events. The public interest in and recognition of the research testify to the impact of the research on the public's consciousness. It has particular resonance for GLBT communities who have embraced the arguments put forward as justifications for same sex marriage equality.
Research on the historian Herodotus, the history of the Achaemenid Persian empire, and the complex relationship between Greek and Persian worlds in the Classical period has had an impact in two main ways:
Papyrological research since 1993 by Oxford scholars has led to important new discoveries that have promoted increased public understanding and discussion of ancient literature and history. Research on documentary papyri has led to greater awareness of daily life in Oxyrhynchus, a Graeco-Roman provincial capital in central Egypt. The publication and translation of a new poem by Sappho has led to its inclusion in new translations of Sappho and ancient Greek lyric by leading publishers. Major Digital Humanities projects, Oxyrhynchus Online and Ancient Lives, have made the Oxyrhynchus papyri available to the public through the use of a web interface. Mass participation facilitated by the project has received wide publicity for increasing the engagement of the public with the methods and materials of scientific research. The website has had a major pedagogical impact through its use in schools.
IMAGINES is an interdisciplinary project and research group exploring the influence and impact of antiquity on modern cultures. The project addresses the reception of antiquity in film, theatre, dance, opera, sculpture, architecture, painting, graphic novels, design and photography and other forms of visual culture. The project has sought to make its work accessible to the public through a series of exhibitions and talks, while it has also sought to engage members of the creative and cultural industries such as art professionals in the fields of architecture, music, graphic novels, and the theatre.
Durham University research on Homeric epic has had four main forms of impact:
A. Broader and better informed public appreciation of Homeric poetry, established through collaborations with publishers, museums, and the media.
B. Enhanced learning and teaching of Homeric epic in secondary and tertiary education. This has been achieved through publications and collaborations with schools, teacher associations, private education and teacher-training providers.
C. Homer in the local community: in collaboration with community arts companies, and not-for-profit associations for cultural regeneration, Homeric research has reached new audiences.
D. Improved understanding, treatment and prevention of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, through a close collaboration with a clinical psychiatrist and leading international authority on the condition.
Research at UCL has underpinned two significant activities which bring our work to students, non-traditional learners and the wider world: the UCL Greek play and the programme of events surrounding the London Olympics. These exemplify the profound public impact of our research in Greek performed poetry in its social context. Each year, almost 2,000 people attend the Greek play, along with workshops and lectures about staging, interpretation, and the play's relationship to its social and historical context. The research also informed the development of a collaborative programme of cultural events celebrating the 2012 Olympics, with emphasis on the festival's ancient roots. Open lectures, workshops, debates, interviews and exhibitions were supplemented by websites, which increased the range of our educational and public information impacts by sharing research-led activities with thousands more people.