Centre for Comedy Studies Research

Description

The Centre for Comedy Studies Research (CCSR) is an international research centre devoted to the academic study of comedy. As an interdisciplinary centre the CCSR considers the production, content, reception and wider socio-political implications of comedy in a variety of formats and from a range of perspectives. The Centre successfully brings together leading academics and writers in the fields of media and communications, sociology, psychology, theatre, drama, film and television, computing, English, creative writing and social work.

The Centre's research examines the production, content, reception and wider socio-political implications of comedy in its variety of formats from television sketch shows to comedy thrillers. All of its research and teaching is strongly underpinned by the belief that comedy is socially, culturally, politically and economically significant at local, national and international levels. The Centre's work clusters around a number of overlapping themes that include:

• Mediated and Live Comedy
• Comedy and Identity
• Comedy, Taboo and Offence
• Comedy, Power and Ideology
• Comic Novels

The team has strong links with the comedy industry and is supported by five CSR Ambassadors:

• Jo Brand – Comedian, writer, actress and Brunel Honorary Graduate.
• Nitin Ganatra – Actor (e.g. Eastenders and Mumbai Calling).
• Lee Mack – Comedian, writer, actor and Brunel Honorary Graduate.
• Simon Minty – Co-founder and Producer of Abnormally Funny People.
• Geoff Rowe – Founding Director of Leicester Comedy Festival.

The Centre's aims are:

• To promote and facilitate academic research on the comedy/society interface
• Through a broad research agenda facilitate inter-disciplinary research that examines the ways in which comedy can be used un/seriously and positively and/or negatively in all spheres of society (in business, party politics, IT, health, education, identity politics, media, arts, law)
• To contribute to debates relevant to industry and practitioners
• To provide a hub for mentoring and developing research skills for research students
• To provide graduate and undergraduate teaching that links to members' main research interests

Offers funding

No, this infrastructure does not provide funding.

Founding year

2013

Contact details

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University affiliation(s)

Brunel University, Uxbridge and London
Kingston Lane
Uxbridge
UB8 3PH