10 March 2010

'Jute and Dundee' - academic workshop, March 19th

The history of the jute industry and its impact on the city of Dundee and surrounding areas will be examined at an academic workshop taking place at the University of Dundee on Friday March 19th.

The jute industry forms a major part of Dundee’s history, having placed the city at the centre of a global trade throughout much of the late 19th and 20th centuries.

'This workshop will examine the influence of the jute trade on Dundee from a range of perspectives including the economic, industrial, social and cultural,' said Dr Valerie Wright, one of the organisers of the workshop, along with Dr Carlo Morelli and Professor Jim Tomlinson, all of whom are based at the University.

'The main aim of this workshop is to present and discuss on-going research from the Leverhulme Trust-funded project ‘Jute & Dundee: The management of industrial decline’ with academics and local historians who have completed research on an aspect of, or have an interest in, the evolution and subsequent industrial decline of jute as an industry and employer in Dundee.'

People who had associations with the jute industry in Dundee in the post-war years will also be present. The organisers have close connections with local archivists who will attend and participate as will curators from local museums and libraries.

'An important feature of this workshop will be the attendance of academics who have completed research on the jute industry in India,' said Dr Wright. 'This will be a unique opportunity to discuss the connections between the intertwined development of jute in Dundee and India.'

The 'Jute and Dundee' workshop takes place in the Dalhousie Building at the University from 9.30 am.

FULL PROGRAMME:

• 09:00-09:30 - Registration
• 09:30-10.00 - Welcome
• 10:00-11:30 - Session 1 - 'Jute and Dundee'
• Dr Valerie Wright, University of Dundee, A woman's town? jute and gender in Dundee.
• Dr Carlo Morelli, University of Dundee, 'Blowing the bottom out of Jute'?: Government and industry relationships in the Jute industry 1957-63.
• Prof Jim Tomlinson, University of Dundee, The decline of Jute and the de-globalization of Dundee.
• 11:30-12:00- Coffee
• 12:00-13:30 - Session 2 - 'Jute and Dundee's connections to India'
• Alexis Wearmouth, University of Dundee, title to be confirmed.
• Dr Bishnupriya Gupta, University of Warwick, title to be confirmed.
• Dr Samita Sen, Calcutta University, Gender and the Jute Industry: The Calcutta Chapter, 1890-1990.
• 13:30-14:30 - Lunch
• 14:30-15:15 - Session 3 - 'Jute in the archives and museums of Dundee'
• Pat Whatley / Caroline Brown, University of Dundee Archive Services, Jute and the University archives.
• Gill Poulter, The Verdant Works, title to be confirmed.
• 15:15-15:30 - Coffee
• 15.30-18.00 - Plenary
• Prof. Amiya Kumar Bagchi, Calcutta University, title to be confirmed.
• Prof. Gordon T. Stewart, Michigan State University, Jute in the World, Worlds of Jute.

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07800 581902