Dr Sarah Pogoda
Senior Lecturer in German Studies
Affiliations
Links
- https://bellotograph.jimdo.com/
This is a website which documents one of my past projects at Sheffield. It included a Happening, a Panel debate with artists and academics and a workshop with artists and the public. The project dealt with commemoration practices for World War II in both, Germany and the UK. - https://lighthousesintofuturity.jimdofree.com/
This website documents my artistic research project on German writer and filmmaker Alexander Kluge. An exhibition (August 2018) in Pontio, Bangor introduced his work to a Welsh audience for the first time.
Contact info
Originally from the Bergische Land (Nordrhein-Westfalen), I studied German literature, history and communication at the Freie Universität Berlin. As part of my undergraduate programme I went on an Erasmus exchange to the University of Vienna. After my Magister Artium I completed a doctorate in German literature. Having worked as a tutor for GfL (German as a Foreign Language) in the private sector in Berlin, I went to the University of Sheffield as DAAD-Lektorin in 2012. In autumn 2016 I came to Bangor University.
Teaching
At the Freie Universität Berlin and the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin I offered several modules on Political Studies and German Literature of the 20th century. As a DAAD-Lektor at the University of Sheffield (2012-2016) I taught modules on contemporary German culture and media, post-wall German art, film and performance, as well as modules on contemporary German literature. Alongside this research led teaching, I have been teaching German language at all levels (ab initio to near native competence) since 2011. At Bangor University I continue teaching German language at all levels, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in my field of research expertise, this includes e.g. the modules "Culture in Context" (LXE 1600); "The German Film" (LXG 2008), "Performing Germany" (LXG 3036), "German Avant-Garde" (LXM 4037) and "Critical Theory" (LXM 4001).
In my teaching, I prefer to integrate artistic practices, such as Happenings and Creative Writing exercises. I do not only understand this kind of pracice based learning as best practice in teaching, but first and foremost, I want to show my students that the revolution starts with ourselves and inside ourselves. It is this revolution of the self which I consider as the key experience of life, and of university life in particular. I was nominated for the Special Recognition Award.
Research
My current research interests are 20th and 21st century Avant Garde, with a focus on performance. Here, my core research considers the German film maker, theatre director and actionist artist Christoph Schlingensief (1960-2010). In this regard I am also particularly interested in the political potential of art and how contemporary artist interfere in the public sphere.
I am also engaged in diversifying the critical thinking methods in academia by engageing with artistic research methods. In this context I co-founded the Avant Garde experimental art collective NWK, kindly supported by Deutsch-Walisische Freundschaft.
One further creative writing projects is a performative writing exercise in which both Welsh and German are explored in their shared knowledge about Fluxus art. For this purpose, I invented a new literary genre called "Verifiction". This critical method is informed by Avant Garde strategies and has shown suitable for uncovering hidden knowledge in language.
Further research interests lie in the interrelations of literature and architecture and, more generally, in the history, culture, politics and literature of post-1945 Germany, including the former GDR. In my doctoral thesis I look at metaphors of building and dwelling in post-war and contemporary German literature and culture. In addition I am interested in contemporary German literature in general.
Contact Info
Originally from the Bergische Land (Nordrhein-Westfalen), I studied German literature, history and communication at the Freie Universität Berlin. As part of my undergraduate programme I went on an Erasmus exchange to the University of Vienna. After my Magister Artium I completed a doctorate in German literature. Having worked as a tutor for GfL (German as a Foreign Language) in the private sector in Berlin, I went to the University of Sheffield as DAAD-Lektorin in 2012. In autumn 2016 I came to Bangor University.
Teaching
At the Freie Universität Berlin and the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin I offered several modules on Political Studies and German Literature of the 20th century. As a DAAD-Lektor at the University of Sheffield (2012-2016) I taught modules on contemporary German culture and media, post-wall German art, film and performance, as well as modules on contemporary German literature. Alongside this research led teaching, I have been teaching German language at all levels (ab initio to near native competence) since 2011. At Bangor University I continue teaching German language at all levels, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in my field of research expertise, this includes e.g. the modules "Culture in Context" (LXE 1600); "The German Film" (LXG 2008), "Performing Germany" (LXG 3036), "German Avant-Garde" (LXM 4037) and "Critical Theory" (LXM 4001).
In my teaching, I prefer to integrate artistic practices, such as Happenings and Creative Writing exercises. I do not only understand this kind of pracice based learning as best practice in teaching, but first and foremost, I want to show my students that the revolution starts with ourselves and inside ourselves. It is this revolution of the self which I consider as the key experience of life, and of university life in particular. I was nominated for the Special Recognition Award.
Research
My current research interests are 20th and 21st century Avant Garde, with a focus on performance. Here, my core research considers the German film maker, theatre director and actionist artist Christoph Schlingensief (1960-2010). In this regard I am also particularly interested in the political potential of art and how contemporary artist interfere in the public sphere.
I am also engaged in diversifying the critical thinking methods in academia by engageing with artistic research methods. In this context I co-founded the Avant Garde experimental art collective NWK, kindly supported by Deutsch-Walisische Freundschaft.
One further creative writing projects is a performative writing exercise in which both Welsh and German are explored in their shared knowledge about Fluxus art. For this purpose, I invented a new literary genre called "Verifiction". This critical method is informed by Avant Garde strategies and has shown suitable for uncovering hidden knowledge in language.
Further research interests lie in the interrelations of literature and architecture and, more generally, in the history, culture, politics and literature of post-1945 Germany, including the former GDR. In my doctoral thesis I look at metaphors of building and dwelling in post-war and contemporary German literature and culture. In addition I am interested in contemporary German literature in general.
Research areas and keywords
Keywords
- PN0441 Literary History - German Literature, 20th Century, 21st Century
- NA Architecture - Theories of Architecture, Literature and Architecture, Space
- PN2000 Dramatic representation. The Theater - Post-Dramatic Theatre, Performance Studies, Christoph Schlingensief, Avant-Garde
- DD Germany - 20th Century
- N Visual arts (General) For photography, see TR - Avant-Garde
Research outputs (40)
- Published
Vor- und Nachspiel: Ästhetiken gegen den Faschismus: Ein Vergleich zwischen dem Hässlichen Christoph Schlingensiefs und dem Zentrum für Politische Schönheit
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
- Accepted/In press
Deutschlandsuche '99 - Erster Imaginärer Opernführer - Wagner-Rallye '04
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Entry for encyclopedia/dictionary › peer-review
- Accepted/In press
Frühe Avantgarde
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Entry for encyclopedia/dictionary › peer-review
Prof. activities and awards (73)
CELT Teaching and Learning Conference 2024
Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in Academic conference
Creating Curious Conversation ‘Scores’/postcards
Activity: Other › Types of Public engagement and outreach - Public lecture/debate/seminar
DeGruyter (Publisher)
Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Editorial activity
Projects (3)
Paul Davies and Beca: Transforming Art Practice in Wales, 1966 -1999
Project: Research
Re-inventing the Live Event with Local Art Communities: Covid-19
Project: Research
Media coverage (6)
Welsh translation of German classic book - Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis
Press/Media: Other
UK students are abandoning language learning, so we’re looking for a more creative approach
Press/Media: Expert Comment
Metamorffosis at Arts Night
Press/Media: Other