Research from an expert at the University on the culture of US videogames will feature in the first-ever British Academy (BA) festival of ideas to showcase the impact of its research funding.
Dr John Wills, of the Centre for American Studies at the University’s School of History, is one of only 15 academics from across the UK to be included in the BA’s Summer Showcase exhibition, running from 22-23 June.
His exhibition, entitled Playing Cowboys and Criminals: Videogame Depictions of the Frontier and Urban West, highlights his research exploring how America has been depicted in popular videogames from the 1970s onwards.
It focuses on ‘Wild West’ titles such as The Oregon Trail (1971), an educational adventure used to teach the history of the frontier, as well as games based on the modern American city, such as LA Noire (2011).
The Showcase is described as a free festival of ideas, bringing to life subjects from the humanities and social sciences, alongside talks, performances and hands-on activities.
The BA Summer Showcase 2018 takes place at 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, St James’s, London SW1. It is open to the public from 11:00-17:00.