Wordsworth 2020

Wordsworth 2020 is designed to advance research on Wordsworth's later poetry and to provide intellectual leadership related to broader aspects of Wordsworth and Romantic studies. The project title marks the 250th anniversary of the poet's birth and the bicentenary of an important collection of the poet's later works, The River Duddon: A Series of Sonnets ... and Other Poems (1820). Combining an ambitious programme of individual and collaborative research activities with a series of high impact public engagement initiatives, the project aims to shape the agenda for future academic study and to foster general understanding of the life, works and legacy of a major English writer.

The project's five objectives, reflecting Wordsworth's enduring fascination with lakes, rivers and streams, flow into each other: 1. to complete a book-length study of Wordsworth's later poetry; 2. to edit a special issue of the journal The Wordsworth Circle dedicated to readings of The River Duddon volume; 3. to co-curate a major exhibition at The Wordsworth Museum; 4. to co-organise an international conference at the University of Lancaster; 5. to develop a range of multi-level educational resources and activities.

1. The last monograph on Wordsworth's later poetry was published in 1933. Therefore a new study of the later writings, taking full account of recent developments in textual editing, literary criticism and historical scholarship, is long overdue. Through archival research and close textual analysis the book will draw attention to significant developments in the poet's handling of poetic form, his appreciation of classical and contemporary literature, his understanding of politics, religion and the environment, his relations with patrons and publishers, and his concern with posterity.

2. The special issue of the journal The Wordsworth Circle, to be published in the spring of 2020, is timed to coincide with the bicentenary of The River Duddon: A Series of Sonnets ... and Other Poems (1820). The issue will be the first full-length academic study of the Duddon volume as a whole and, as such, will be welcomed by scholars of Romantic poetry and by readers of Wordsworth more generally.

3. An exhibition entitled 'Endless Waters', will be hosted by the Wordsworth Museum in the spring and summer of 2020. The exhibition is timed to coincide with the opening of the new museum, which thanks to substantial public funding will be significantly updated and expanded. Co-curated with Jeff Cowton, the museum's Curator and Head of Learning, the exhibition focusses on Wordsworth's lifelong interest in lakes, rivers and streams. It will include interactive guides to Wordsworth's major poems and a dedicated exhibition of paintings, prints and related audio-visual media. In support of the exhibition the curators will organise a series of public talks, community initiatives and digital resources, and they will also
co-edit an accompanying booklet comprising short essays and high quality reproductions of selected images. The design of the exhibition will be guided by the principles of inclusivity outlined in the museum's 'Creative Case for Diversity' and will draw on academic research conducted for the monograph and the special issue.

4. A three-day conference on Wordsworth, scheduled to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the poet's birth, will take place at the University of Lancaster (1-3 April 2020). The conference will provide opportunities for pupil, student and lay reader contributions, advance knowledge and understanding of the poet's relatively neglected later works, and is thus closely linked with the project's other objectives.

5. Educational resources and activities, linked to the exhibition and the conference and suitable for KS3/4 and A-Level English Literature students, will be devised through collaboration with local teachers and pedagogical support organisations to encourage study of the poet beyond the academic sphere.

The main impact activity of the Fellowship is 'Endless Waters', an exhibition to be hosted by the Wordsworth Museum in the spring of 2020. To enhance engagement with the exhibition, the curators will organise a series of public talks, community initiatives and digital resources, and will co-edit an accompanying booklet comprising short essays and high quality reproductions of selected images. The curators will ensure that the exhibition co-ordinates with the museum's response to ACE's 'Creative Case for Diversity' and that it has tangible community benefits, both to the region and in wider national and international context: for example, in dialogue with the charity Water Aid we are currently exploring the possibility of linking the exhibition to broader social concerns about water scarcity. The design of the leadership activities will be guided by the contributions of academic and non-academic beneficiaries from the outset. The day-to-day running of these activities will continue in this spirit to ensure that research outputs are fully embedded in the relevant communities and that value-added Knowledge Exchange collaborative ventures arising from the project are developed and sustained in the future. The non-academic beneficiaries include museum practitioners and professionals, school, college and university students, and the general public.

MUSEUM PRACTITIONERS AND PROFESSIONALS will gain from working with academics, fellow museum practitioners and professionals and related beneficiaries. The exhibition at the Wordsworth Museum will involve close collaboration with the Leadership Fellow, with scholars of Romanticism, and with artists, community organisations, charitable groups and museum professionals. The research expertise of academic participants will inform the design of the exhibition and will feed into planned collaborative ventures, e.g. the accompanying booklet, public talks, community activities and digital resources. The impact will be enhanced by the professional diversity of the participants, which represents a broad range of national and international, local and metropolitan, subject foci and charitable statuses.

SCHOOLS will benefit from the input of participants in the design and execution of educational support resources and activities suitable for Key Stages 3, 4 and A-Level English Literature. Research findings will be made available through the Fellowship and Museum websites and will be offered more widely via suitable selected student web resources. These resources will allow beneficiaries to engage with the themes of the exhibition and to gain enhanced knowledge and understanding of poems relevant to the curriculum, e.g. 'Upon Westminster Bridge' (KS3). In the wake of the exhibition opportunities will be explored for further collaborative work, e.g. schools liaison, curriculum development, assemblies and webinars.

STUDENTS from the universities of Leicester and Lancaster will be given opportunities to participate in the design of the exhibition and, where logistically feasible, to help with its organisation. Undergraduate and M.A. seminars, as well as Doctoral Training Programmes, will draw on aspects of the project relevant to their studies; for example, students of English Literature and History will be able to engage with questions of canonicity, cultural value and heritage, while Museum Studies students will gain insight into topics ranging from acquisitions management to the impact and value of culture and cultural participation. Bursaries will enable postgraduate and early career researchers to engage with the conference.

Through attending the exhibition and by accessing the booklet, public talks, community ventures, digital resources and related activities, the PUBLIC will be given the opportunity to discover how Wordsworth's artistic career was shaped by his sustained interest in the cultural, historical, political and geographical significance of rivers, lakes and streams.