Yesterday we were lucky enough to be invited to the launch of Brunel University's Centre for Comedy Studies Research. It is a new international research centre which will be dedicated to the academic study of comedy hosted by the Department of Sociology and Communications at Brunel University. The centre will consider the production, content, reception and wider socio-political implications of comedy in all its forms. The centre will be bringing together a diverse range of academics, writers and practitioners from fields such as psychology, drama, English, sociology and more.
This is a great development in comedy becoming a proper subject for academic research. According to Brunel Univeristy: “All of our research and teaching is strongly underpinned by the belief that comedy is socially, culturally, artistically, politically and economically significant at local, national and international levels.” The areas the centre will be working in are Mediated and Live Comedy, Comedy and Identity, Comedy, Taboo and Offence, Comedy, Power and Ideology and Comic Novels.
The centre has some great supporters already, with comedian and now an ambassador for the centre Jo Brand stating: “I am really pleased to be an ambassador for the Centre for Comedy Studies Research at Brunel University. As an ex Brunel student it's great to see that comedy is being taken seriously by the institution that provided me with many big laughs when I was there.”
We were lucky enough to get a taster of what the centre will be providing with mini lectures from Dr Simon Weaver, on trickster comedy and the new Europe, Dr Brett Mills on creativity and television comedy and Professor Liesbet van-Zoonen who discussed comedians, faith and YouTube.
There was also an industry perspectives panel with Steve Best, stand up comedian and founder of 'Abnormally Funny People', Jo Brand, Lee Mack, Geoff Rowe, founder of Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival and Deborah Williams, writer, theatre-maker, producer, digital composer and coach. The panel gave a great insight into the comedy industry.
On being asked what they would like to see studied at the centre Jo Brand made the request that they kindly did NOT research the question “are women funny” hear hear! We think the Funny Women Awards are all the research you need to answer that – unsurprisingly we're sticking with a 'yes' answer. It's a question Lee Mack would like us to move on from after some reaction to his appearance on Desert Island Discs, simply asserting the question is not: “why aren't more women on panel games, but why aren't more women going into the business?”
We would also like it noted that Brunel University Centre for Comedy Studies Research really knows how to put on a good spread of nibbles. Good nibbles Brunel, you passed!
Pictured: Jo Brand receiving her Brunel honorary degree
