Inaugural ACIS Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Melbourne
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Laura Lori as the inaugural ACIS Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Melbourne. By creating and co-funding this position, ACIS is affirming its commitment to new PhD graduates in Italian Studies, recognising the difficulties they face in the current national and international academic climate. Laura completed her PhD in Italian Studies at La Trobe University, and has recently concluded a period as a non-stipendiary Honorary Research Associate of ACIS. In that role she worked productively under the mentorship of Luciana d’Arcangeli at Flinders University, as evidenced by her research achievements outlined here. Laura describes her new two-year fellowship research proposal on Afro-Italian storytelling as follows: “My research aims to analyse how artists and migrants from the African Diaspora use theatre and literature to create a new transcultural identity in Italy. Specifically, I intend to work on how the collective or individual re-writing and mise en scène of theatrical plays by theatre companies and young migrants reshapes the idea of Italianness and challenges the nationalist and sovereignty discourse. I intend to work on three case studies in Italy creating a pilot project potentially applicable to similar realities in Australia.” We wish Laura all the very best with her Fellowship, and look forward to reporting on her research outcomes over the coming two years.
