AWAWS Brisbane, in partnership with the AWAWS Academic Mentoring Program, is hosting The Cancelled Conference 2.0 in order to showcase the work of mentees and provide an example of what can be achieved through the program.
 
The conference will be held over held over  Wednesday 29- Thursday 30 September, with a plenary session on the mentoring program on the first day. Attendance is open to anyone, and in particular we would like to encourage those who are interested in learning about and fostering postgraduate research to attend. 

​If you would like to register to attend the conference please email Brianna, Tyla and Janette (Conference Conveners & AWAWS Brisbane Co-Chairs) - awawsbrisbane@gmail.com

Representations of ancient women, whether human or divine, historical, literary or mythological, are always layered with meaning. Physical manifestations of the human female form embody the social, political, and cultural spheres in which they were created, received and transmitted. Over time, most of these physical images of bodies have been altered, sometimes violently, and transmitted across myriad cultures and times. Their encoded meanings have been reinterpreted, or often wholly reimagined.
 
Modern perceptions of women, the female body and gender have greatly influenced the ways in which ancient imagery has been interpreted. Ancient imagery of women has been, and still is, harnessed as a positive encouragement to self-confidence in some spheres and weaponised in others, either to drive or to detract from modern feminist (and other) agendas in the academic and popular spheres.
 
This panel hopes to explore a variety of ways in which women are represented in the material culture of the ancient world (or its receptions); the processes in which meaning is created and attached to these images; and the ways in which physical depictions of women have changed over time and in different cultural contexts.
 
Papers are invited that:

• contribute to the discussion of women and gender representation in ancient material culture;
• examine reception of ancient imagery of women in medieval or modern cultures; or
• engage with intersectional discourses such as queer studies, race and ethnicity studies, or disability studies.

If you would like to participate in the panel please send your EOI including an abstract (max 250 words) and short bio (max 200 words) to candace.richards@sydney.edu.au by Sunday 12 September. Note: The due date is earlier than the ASCS abstract deadline to allow for organisation of the panel. Participants must be financial members of ASCS.

This week we launched a new e-newsletter to bring you all the latest happenings from the AWAWS membership. We hope to bring you a newsletter update every two months. If you havent got yours please check your spam and then send us an email socawaws@gmail.com

Diversity Officer
AWAWS as a group is committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone, with a particular focus on supporting minority and underrepresented groups and individuals. We aim to support diversity both within AWAWS and within ancient world studies as whole, including diversity in culture, language, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, socio-economic status, and religion. This role will help further support these aims.

The Diversity Officer will:
- help foster diversity and intersectional awareness
- liaise and affiliate with other groups (including passing along intersectional material of interest to be shared on social media by our web officers)
- advise on diversity presentation questions or code of conduct issues relevant to diversity should they arise.

Local Chapters representative
The aim of this role is to help streamline communication between the executive and the local chapters, to ensure events are well publicized, and to provide further support to Local Chapter Heads.

The Local Chapters representative will:
- liaise with local chapters about events, marketing, and funding opportunities
- liaise with web officers to ensure events are promoted to our membership
- raise any issues or challenges faced by local chapters in the Monthly executive meetings.

To nominate for one of these roles please email your expression of interest to the executive committee on socawaws@gmail.com. Expressions of interest will be accepted until 15 September 2021, with an election window (if required) of 20-24 September, 2021.