The 20-year Legacy: Peter and Doris Kule Centre for Ukrainian and Canadian Folklore

Where Folklore Takes Us: The 20-year Legacy of Peter and Doris Kule Centre for Ukrainian and Canadian Folklore

For the last twenty years, Peter and Doris Kule Centre for Ukrainian and Canadian folklore (KuFC) has been known and celebrated as Canada’s prime destination for researchers and students in the pursuit of knowledge and scholarly expertise in the field of folklore studies.

Formally established in 2001 at the U of Alberta and based upon endowments and archives existing since the 1980s, the KuFC has expanded over the years to serve both the academia and the community. KuFC has a thriving online presence, with a website, Facebook page, a growing YouTube channel, and several databases of Ukrainian Canadian resources. It is home to the Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives – one of the largest North American repositories of Ukrainian and Canadian-Ukrainian folklore materials.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the KuFC, and to honour our founder and mentor, Dr. Bohdan Medwidsky (1936-2021), we are calling for an international symposium to reflect on the legacy and impact of the KuFC and its founder Dr. Bohdan Medwidsky in the field of folklore studies in Canada, Ukraine and internationally.

We invite submissions that will focus and critically explore the ways Ukrainian folklore is studied, taught and practised today, in academia, art, music, business and beyond. Proposals engaging with the topic of Ukrainian folklore from various scholarly perspectives and in diverse regional contexts are particularly welcome.

The symposium will be hosted in the hybrid format (online and in-person) on April 29-30, 2022. Proposals for roundtables, special panels, individual papers, performance, exhibits, and other formats will be considered. Expenses for those invited to participate in the conference in person, including meals, accommodation, and travel, will be partially covered.

* Deadline extended to February 1, 2022.

Please submit an abstract of your paper or presentation (400 words) and a short bio electronically to ukrfolk@ualberta.ca by January 15, 2022. The authors of successful submissions will be notified by February 15, 2022. Further details about this event will be made available in the near future.

KuFC@20