Exploring Donkeys in Film: A Pioneering Academic Adventure
The University of Exeter has taken a bold step in education with an exciting new course that seems to come straight out of a creative think-tank. Titled Scrublands, Sanctuary, Screens: Co-creating Knowledges alongside Donkeys, this module is truly unique—it's the first of its kind to focus exclusively on how donkeys are portrayed in film. Offered under the umbrella of Film & Television Studies, and part of the combination with Media & Communications, this course is challenging students to examine cinematic narratives in a way that’s never been done before.
So what's the big idea? The course digs deep into the representation of donkeys, looking at how these animals fit into cultural stories and how they interact with human characters on the big screen. It's not just watching movies and writing essays, though. The program pulls together film theory, ecology, and ethics, giving students the tools to explore the artistic and ethical dimensions of the donkey's role in cinema.
Learning Beyond the Classroom with Donkeys
Through films like Au Hasard Balthazar and The Young and the Damned, students aren't just learning about donkeys in a vacuum. They get to engage with primary materials at the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum, one of the largest film-related collections. Here, students can browse through more than 70,000 artifacts offering inspiration and insights into historical and contemporary cinema.
Moreover, the classes don’t stop with traditional methodologies. The module incorporates hands-on participatory research, which gets students involved with donkeys in local sanctuaries. This direct engagement encourages a deep dive into interspecies communication and storytelling, pushing the boundaries of conventional learning and sparking fresh insights into animal representation.
Steered by Dr. Stacy A. Alaimo, a noted scholar known for her work in posthumanist ecocriticism, the course stays in tune with global trends in animal studies and environmental humanities. It’s more than just a quirky offering; it's part of a broader innovation in education, reflecting Exeter's commitment to fostering creative dialogue across disciplines.
The University of Exeter's new course speaks volumes about the evolving nature of humanities education, emphasizing the importance of integrating real-world practices with academic exploration. It's not just about what students are learning—it's about how they're learning, and the kind of thinkers they're encouraged to become.
