40 Years On: The Domain of Design History – Looking Back Looking Forward. 22nd May 2015, The Open University, Milton Keynes

2015 marks forty years since The Open University launched its pioneering course A305 History of architecture and design 1890-1939 in 1975.  The course has been widely acknowledged as a landmark in the study of modern architecture and design both in the UK and internationally.  This conference will take A305 as its starting point to trace some central themes in the history of the discipline in this country from the 1970s onwards.  Key figures involved in the writing and broadcasting of the course will discuss its making and impact.  Other developments in the spread of the subject in the 1970s and 1980s will also be considered; notably the first design history and architectural history degrees.  Later sessions will focus on the dissemination of the discipline through exhibitions and in the contexts of the crafts and architectural conservation.  The conference will end with a series of reflections on the discipline today in the UK and globally by noted scholars in the field.
Conference Strands

  • Teaching Architectural and Design History
  • Disseminating Modern Architecture and Design
  • Exhibiting Modern Architecture and Design
  • National and International Perspectives

For the full programme and details of how to register please visit our website:
http://www.open.ac.uk/arts/design-history-conference/
DHS Student Bursaries – Apply Now
Up to ten student bursaries are available. The funding is kindly provided by the Design History Society (DHS) to facilitate student attendance at this prestigious conference. Bursaries cover the cost of registration and up to £25 of travel expenses.  Please visit http://www.open.ac.uk/arts/design-history-conference/ for further details and how to apply.  Deadline for Bursary Applications: Friday 10th APRIL 2015

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