Athens & Antiparos, Greece

Mythos as MythUs

The Mythos as MythUs summer school program studies myth and popular narrative, from antiquity to the present, as being humanity’s voice, long-shared, with which to respond to harsh realities; to times of crisis; and to distress that impacts entire communities. In such times of transition and upheaval myth and narrative serve to ameliorate the inimical stereotyping, bigoted notions, and segregation that these challenging circumstances inevitably bring. In its role of healing, narrative has been not just preserved but also transformed, in all its oral, written, digital, and, of late, even contemporary literary forms, not just in terms of its atavistic world of archaic symbolism but in fact most markedly through being called on in confronting, via poetic means, problems, ideas, and emotions that are communal as well as individual -- as a result of which transformative therapeutic dimension, narrative continues to update, on an ongoing basis, in altogether dynamic ways.

This Summer School is a blended-learning program that consists of an online preparation class and a ten-day live attendance (24 Jun 2024 to 3 Jul 2024) summer school of face-to-face classes in Athens as well as fieldwork on the island of Antiparos, Cyclades, and group and/or guided tours in and around Attica and Athens.

The program includes 9 modules divided into 3 groups, each focusing on a different topic:
Topic 1: Myth in Ancient Greek and other Ancient Cultures
Topic 2: The Role of Myth in Response to Dread, Disruption, and Disaster
Topic 3: Narrating in Modern and Contemporary Society

Each student will select a Topic of study on the basis of the module and syllabi descriptions provided below.
The series of introductory, in-person lectures will include all students, but each module will have different preparatory work, readings, and seminars/workshops. The program begins with a remote/preparation phase consisting of two digital meetings of students with each of the individual teachers in their Topic, as well as affording time for students to get started on essential reading and/or project work. Once on-site for the in-person part of the course, students will all attend introductory lectures, to include follow-up discussion, in all modules, over two days, before breaking out into the Topic group of his/her selection for the remainder of the program. Each student will follow each of the modules offered within their Topic group, for an overall experience that is focused and in-depth, while being at the same time varied and in breadth. The in-person coursework within each Topic module will take the form of seminars, workshops, discussion, and/or training in methodology, over two half-days. Guided touring is interspersed with lectures and coursework during the in-person part of the course on days three through eight. The program’s coursework concludes with individual and group preparation for presentation/evaluation.

Course leader

Katsadoros George

Target group

Undergraduate
Postgraduate
PhD Candidates
Researchers/co-doctoral fellows
Professionals
Others

Fee info

EUR 750: The fees cover the following

All days at the summer school.
Workshops
Study materials
Transport from Athens to Antiparos island and back
Programmed excursions and events in Athens
Two (2) official dinners