Home

PhD dissertation

Cultural Promotion and Imperialism. The Dante Alighieri Society and the British Council Contesting the Mediterranean in the 1930s (University of Amsterdam, June 2011). Due to be published.

Supervisor: prof. dr. P. den Boer / Co-supervisor: prof. dr. R. van der Laarse

Publications

T. van Kessel, ‘Difesa dell’ italianità o propaganda fascista? Il comitato dell’Aia della ‘Dante Alighieri’ nei Paesi Bassi dal 1914 al 1938’ in: Incontri. Rivista europea di studi italiani 18 (2003) II, 141-154.

 T. van Kessel, ‘‘Britishness’ as promoted by the British Council in the 1930s and 1940s’ in: Catherine McGlynn, Andrew Mycock and James W. McAuley eds., Britishness, Identity and Citizenship: The View From Abroad (Oxford, Bern, Berlin, Bruxelles, Frankfurt am Main, New York, Wien: Peter Lang Publishing, 2011) 267-288.

Teaching

Practical course 'Erfgoedpraktijk', guiding students putting heritage theory into practice in a project for the historical gardens of Beeckestijn, master programme Heritage Studies, University of Amsterdam (Spring/Summer 2011).

Seminar 'Kunstwerelden: Theorie en Beroepspraktijk' on sociology of the arts, bachelor Cultural Sciences, University of Amsterdam (Autumn/Winter 2010 & 2011).

Lectures on 'Culture and the Makeability of Society', master programme Cultural Sciences, University of Amsterdam (Autumn/Winter 2010 & 2011).

‘De Dante Alighieri Vereniging en de constructie van ‘italianità’ in het buitenland’ as part of ‘Monumenten en symbolen van italianità’, Dante Alighieri Society Utrecht (Utrecht, 29 April 2010).

External examiner for five students graduating from the bachelor programme Museology at the Reinwardt Academy (4 en 6 November 2008).

Accompanied students of the bachelor Cultural Sciences, University of Amsterdam, on an excursion to Rome as part of their course on 'Centres of European Culture' (24-29 March 2007).

Lecture ‘Intangible heritage: contested property’ as part of ‘Heritage: theory and practice’ for students of Heritage Studies, University of Amsterdam (30 November 2006).

Conferences

‘Empire, Cultural Politics and European Heritage: the British Council and the “Latinisation” of Egypt in the 1930s’, Seventeenth International Conference of the Council for European Studies (Montreal, 15-17 April 2010).

‘Cultural Diplomacy and National Self-Representation during the Interbellum: ‘Italianità’ and ‘Britishness’ as promoted abroad’, op uitnodiging van de organisator Peter Mandler als onderdeel van de panel ‘Projecting Nations: Culture and Character in International Relations’, Conference on We The Peoples: Democratizing International Relations in Britain and Beyond, 1870-1950 (St. John’s College, Cambridge, 8-9 January2010).

‘Italian Colonialism and Cultural Propaganda: The Società Dante Alighieri in Addis Abeba’, als onderdeel van de panel ‘Italian Studies from the Low Countries: Modern and Contemporary Italy’ (coordinated by the Werkgroep Italië Studies), Biennial Conference of the Society for Italian Studies (Londen, Royal Holloway University, 16-19 April 2009).

‘Promoting national culture in the Mediterranean: the Dante Alighieri Society and the British Council in the 1930’s’, Fifth International Conference on Cultural Policy Research, georganiseerd door de Istanbul Metropolitan Univeristy & Yeditepe University i.s.m. de International Journal of Cultural Policy (Istanbul, 20-24 August 2004). Also intervened as moderator.

‘British life and thought: a global model? The British Council’s representations of ‘Britishness’ on the eve of the Second World War’, Britishness, Identity and Citizenship: The View from Abroad (Huddersfield, University of Huddersfield, 5-6 June 2008).

‘Italianitá wereldwijd: de Dante Alighieri Vereniging in de jaren dertig’, Royal Netherlands Institute in Rome, for students of Cultural Sciences (University of Amsterdam) on excursion in Rome, 3 April 2008.