Elphinstone Institute

Description

The Elphinstone Institute is a centre for the study of Ethnology, Folklore, and Ethnomusicology at the University of Aberdeen. Established in 1995 in celebration of the quincentenary of the university's founding, the Institute researches and promotes the culture of the North and North-East of Scotland in context.

The Institute is a centre for research and graduate study. Staff and students use ethnographic methodologies to explore ideas of identity and belonging, meaning and function, drawing on an exceptional heritage of traditional music, ballad and song, story, lore and language, alongside the dynamic creativity of those who live and work here today. The Institute is interested in how traditions and cultures are created, adapted, reinterpreted and renewed, to meet new and challenging circumstances, whether here or abroad.

A key part of the Institute’s remit is public engagement, co-producing knowledge and research in partnership with local organizations and individuals. These cooperative ventures can take the form of joint research projects and community initiatives, public events such as festivals, displays, and conferences, and participative workshops, all of which enrich the Institute’s academic work and increase public understanding of the importance of vernacular culture in society today.

The Institute’s monthly public lectures and ethnographic film series operate throughout the academic year and are open to all. With an exciting combination of cutting-edge research and excellent visual material, each lecture and film closes with questions and often lively discussion. The Institute also publishes a refereed series of scholarly publications, available from the Institute or from the University of Aberdeen’s online shop. The latest news can be found in the Institute's biannual newsletters.

Offers funding

No, this infrastructure does not provide funding.

Founding year

1995

Contact details

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Categorisation

Type

Project Tags

University affiliation(s)

University of Aberdeen
Aberdeen

Partner Infrastructures

The Folklore Society

The Folklore Society is a learned society devoted to the study of traditional culture in all its forms. It was founded in London in 1878 and was one of the first organisations established in the world… read more about The Folklore Society

London

North Research Theme

Aberdeen lies at the hub of a region that extends eastwards to the Nordic and Baltic countries and to northern Russia and Siberia, and westwards to Iceland, Greenland, Canada and Alaska. This region, … read more about North Research Theme

Aberdeen

British Forum of Ethnomusicology

The British Forum for Ethnomusicology is an association formerly known as the International Council for Traditional Music (UK Chapter). As an Affiliate National Committee to the International Council … read more about British Forum of Ethnomusicology

Milton Keynes

Society for Folk Life Studies

The interdisciplinary study of regional cultures and traditions is the key aim of the Society for Folk Life Studies. The Society is the only organisation in Britain that brings together curators, hist… read more about Society for Folk Life Studies

Currie