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| British Association for Contemporary Spanish Studies | |
|---|---|
| Name | British Association for Contemporary Spanish Studies |
| Abbreviation | BACSS |
| Formation | 1970s |
| Type | Learned society |
| Location | United Kingdom |
| Region served | United Kingdom, Spain |
| Language | English, Spanish |
British Association for Contemporary Spanish Studies
The British Association for Contemporary Spanish Studies is a learned society promoting research and teaching on modern and contemporary Spain, engaging scholars of Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia, Bilbao and other Spanish locales. It connects specialists on figures such as Federico García Lorca, Miguel de Unamuno, Carmen Martín Gaite, Benito Pérez Galdós, Antonio Machado and María Zambrano with broader networks including institutions like University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, King's College London, University College London and University of Edinburgh.
Founded amidst debates in the 1970s and 1980s about Spanish transition and cultural change, the association grew alongside interest in the Spanish transition to democracy, the legacy of Francisco Franco, the significance of the Spanish Civil War, and the interpretation of events such as the 1978 Spanish Constitution. Early convenors included scholars associated with School of Oriental and African Studies, University of Manchester, University of Leeds, University of Exeter and University of Glasgow, and the association forged links with archives like the Archivo General de la Administración and museums such as the Museo del Prado. It engaged with debates around the Basque conflict, the politics of Catalan independence movement, and cultural responses to modernization exemplified by urban projects in Bilbao and festivals like La Mercè.
The association's mission emphasizes scholarly inquiry into literature, film, visual art, media, and political culture of contemporary Spain, hosting panels on authors like Javier Cercas, Almudena Grandes, Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Rosa Montero and directors such as Pedro Almodóvar, Luis Buñuel, Carlos Saura, Isabel Coixet and Víctor Erice. It supports research on institutions like the Real Academia Española, on events such as Expo '92 and Barcelona 1992 Summer Olympics, and on social movements tied to Indignados movement and the Women's strike 2018. The association runs seminars on archival sources including holdings from the Archivo Histórico Nacional and curates study visits to cultural sites such as the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and Museo Reina Sofía.
Governance is typically by an elected committee comprising officers drawn from departments at Trinity College Dublin (for Ireland-based members), University of Warwick, University of Bristol, University of Southampton, University of Nottingham and University of York. Advisory members have included scholars linked to research councils like the Arts and Humanities Research Council and liaison with consular and cultural bodies such as the British Council and the Instituto Cervantes. The association's constitution prescribes triennial elections, convenor roles, and subcommittees on pedagogy, publications, and postgraduate training, coordinating with archives such as the British Library and Spanish counterparts like the Biblioteca Nacional de España.
Annual conferences rotate among host institutions including University of Liverpool, University of Sheffield, Queen Mary University of London, University of Sussex, University of Birmingham and often feature keynote speakers connected to centers like the Oxford Spanish Research Centre and the Cambridge Centre for Spanish Studies. Proceedings and edited volumes have appeared with academic presses such as Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Routledge, Palgrave Macmillan and Manchester University Press and in journals including Bulletin of Hispanic Studies, Hispania Nova, Journal of Spanish Cultural Studies and European Journal of Spanish Cultural Studies. Special issues have addressed topics from postwar memory to contemporary cinema focused on works like Pan's Labyrinth and The Spirit of the Beehive.
Membership spans professors, postdoctoral researchers, doctoral candidates and independent scholars with affiliations to organizations such as the Royal Historical Society, Modern Humanities Research Association, Association of Hispanists of Great Britain and Ireland, Spanish Studies Association and international partners including Sociedad Española de Estudios Norteamericanos and Asociación Internacional de Hispanistas. Collaborative projects have linked BACSS with institutions like the British Museum, Tate Modern, Cervantes Institute in London, Spanish Embassy in London and research networks funded by the European Research Council and national schemes such as the Leverhulme Trust.
The association grants prizes for best doctoral thesis, early career research, and lifetime achievement, echoing awards given by bodies like the King's Prize, British Academy, Franco-British Society and literary prizes such as the Premio Planeta, Premio Cervantes and National Prize for Spanish Literature. Recipients have been recognized alongside laureates from institutions like the European University Institute, Institut d'Estudis Catalans and cultural figures awarded honours such as the Order of Isabella the Catholic.
Category:Learned societies of the United Kingdom Category:Hispanic studies