Out of Enchantment: Fairy Tales in Pop-Culture and History
On-site in Tartu 1-7 August 2022
The course will provide an insight into fairy tale studies and will include a broad analysis of both folk tales and fairy tallish stories, adopted by contemporary cinematography.
The objective of this course is to describe the core structure of the tale and fairy tale characters, which are recognizable in movies and screen adaptations. During the course, we will find out why Harry Potter is the Dragon Slayer and which folk tales correlate with this story; why Daenerys Targaryen is the mother of dragons, and who else gave miraculous birth to fantastic creatures; and figure out why hero(ine)s need supernatural powers. We will also get familiar with the main features of the hero(ine), how they have changed during the last century and how gender and queer theories impact the female characters and the outcome of the tales.
Students will familiarise themselves also with old versions of the tales, such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, tales about Dragon Slayer, and Little Red Riding Hood as well as get to know the local versions of the tales.
Students will learn how to recognise basic fairy tale motifs, the structure of the tale story, the typical hero(ine)s, and the course of the plot in modern screen adaptations regarding the folk fairy tale structure. We will learn to rethink well-known stories from a new perspective, including social contexts, the concept of beauty, empowerment; as well as trace changes and transformations in the stories, using both core and newest theories and approaches to fairy tale studies.
| Focus area: | Folkloristics and Applied Heritage Studies | Coordinating unit at UT |
Faculty of Arts and Humanities: Institute of Cultural Research, Department of Estonian and Comparative Folklore |
| Study Field: | Folkloristics and Applied Heritage Studies | Course Leader | Alina Oprelianska |
| Format | Summer course | Location | Tartu, Estonia |
| Course dates: | 1-7 August 2022 | Apply by: | 19 June 2022 |
| ECTS: | 2 | Fee: | 250 € |
| Study group | All students on the level of BA and MA | Language | English |
Application period has ended. See you in 2023!
Two weeks prior to the start of the programme an information file will be sent to all participants. This file contains the daily schedule and relevant contact information of the programme managers.
Students are responsible for their travel, accommodation and travel insurance (visa arrangements if needed) from their home country to Tartu and back to their home country. It is recommended to visit the Tartu Welcome Centre website and arrival and housing section to find accommodation opportunities.
The University of Tartu will offer 20 tuition waivers (scholarships) altogether for citizens of Ukraine for all summer courses. It will cover the course fee and cultural programme. Accommodation and daily expenses are not included.
The selection process is going to be based on the motivation letter. In order to apply for the scholarship please submit your application to the summer course and upload a motivation letter (no longer than approx 1 A4 page).
