Keynote Speakers
Lecturer in Interpreting and Translation
University of East Anglia
Topic: Advancing Audience Reception Research in Audiovisual Translation and Media Accessibility
Abstract: Audience reception research in audiovisual translation (AVT) and media accessibility (MA) has been developing and expanding in recent years due to factors such as a heightened awareness of the need to understand and cater to the needs and preferences of audiences and the growing use of more advanced, diverse and user-centred methods and approaches (Di Giovanni, 2020; Greco, 2018).
While the experimental turn in AVT and MA reception research is still in the early stages (Greco, Jankowska and Szarkowska, 2022), scholars are using increasingly sophisticated experimental methods and are working collaboratively on international studies with larger participant numbers (see the WATCH ME project). Moreover, initiatives such as the UK Subtitling Audiences Network are bringing together researchers and industry collaborators to pool expertise and develop innovative methods for AVT and MA reception research. Researchers are also adopting participatory approaches and are increasingly understanding audiences as active produsers and prosumers (Di Giovanni, 2018a; 2018b).
However, while progress has been made in recent years, many gaps, challenges and deficiencies remain to be tackled, such as the imperative for a wider adoption of user-centred, participatory approaches, the need for greater methodological rigour in experimental research, and the importance of conducting reception research with diverse audiences.
Taking the above as a starting point, in this talk I will critically examine the recent and current landscape of audience reception research in AVT and MA. With the aim of addressing one of the notable gaps in the existing research, that of the paucity of reception studies focusing on different age groups, this talk will present findings of two eye tracking experiments performed with L1 English speakers aged 9-13 years (n = 44) which sought to investigate the impact of subtitle speed and the presence and absence of sound on children’s gaze patterns and comprehension when viewing subtitled videos. The implications of the findings will be discussed in relation to the new insights offered in this important and under-researched area. I will conclude by identifying key directions and challenges for the future advancement of reception research in AVT and MA beyond the state of the art.
Dr. Sharon Black is President of the European Association for Studies in Screen Translation (ESIST). She has authored or co-authored journal articles, conference papers and contributions to specialist publications on audiovisual translation and media accessibility, in particular on using eye tracking to study the reception and cognitive processing of subtitled videos, including with children as viewers, and on digital media and arts accessibility tools, services and training. Sharon is currently leading a British Academy / Leverhulme funded project investigating how deaf and hard of hearing children use subtitles to access videos (2023-2026). Sharon has also participated in WATCH ME, an international project funded by the National Science Centre, Poland (2021-2025) studying the reception of subtitles using eye tracking. Moreover, she was Co-Investigator on Erasmus+ funded projects Digital Accessibility for You (2019-2021), which aimed to empower young people with communication difficulties to use digital media for democratic participation in the debate on accessibility across disability, geography and language, and Accessible Culture and Training (2015-2018), which aimed to enhance arts accessibility through defining the profile of the arts accessibility manager, creating an online MOOC on arts accessibility, and fostering local and international connections.
Digital Communication and Culture, Media and Communications, School of Art
Communication & English, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow (2024-2028)
University of Sydney
Topic: Generative AI and Cultural Policies: Will AI Kill Local Creative Industries?
Abstract: This paper examines how artificial intelligence, especially Generative AI, affects creative workers and industries. Professor Flew will discuss how AI challenges traditional views of human creativity, explore various AI tools used in creative work, and review different perspectives on the relationship between creativity and technology. The paper will conclude with a discussion of how governments, labour unions, artists, activists and others have been responding to these challenges, with particular reference to local cultural policies.
Dr. Terry Flew is Professor of Digital Communication and Culture and Australian Research Council (ARC) Laureate Fellow at the University of Sydney. His books include The Creative Industries, Culture and Policy (SAGE, 2012), Global Creative Industries (Polity, 2013), Media Economics (Palgrave, 2015), Understanding Global Media (Palgrave, 2018), Regulating Platforms (Polity, 2021), and Digital Platform Regulation: Global Perspectives on Internet Governance (Springer, 2022). He was President of the International Communications Association (ICA) from 2019 to 2020, and is an ICA Fellow, elected in 2019. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities (FAHA). In 2011-12 he chaired a review of the Australian media classification system for the Australian Law Reform Commission. Organisations he has advised include the OECD, Australian Communication and Media Authority, Cisco Systems, Special Broadcasting Service, Meta and Telstra. His Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship is a five-year study (2024-2028) of Mediated Trust: Ideas, Interests, Institutions, Futures. He also leads an ARC Discovery Project on Valuing News: Aligning Individual, Institutional and Societal Perspectives and the International Digital Policy Observatory (idpo.org.au) also funded through the ARC.
Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics
The University of Hong Kong
Topic: Empowering Cultural Preservation and Inclusivity Through Technology: Innovations in Hong Kong Sign Language
Abstract: This talk delves into the technological advancements aimed at preserving the rich cultural heritage of Hong Kong Sign Language (HKSL) while promoting inclusivity and societal well-being for the Deaf community. Our research team has made strides in this endeavor through the documentation and archiving of HKSL signs, narratives, and dialogues, laying a foundation for cultural preservation efforts. Central to our work is the development of an HKSL handshape detection model that has enhanced the accuracy and efficiency of sign language recognition. This innovation has not only improved the development of a comprehensive HKSL curriculum tailored for hearing learners but has also opened doors to practical applications such as providing vital paramedic services and facilitating communication at art exhibitions for the Deaf community. By fostering a deeper understanding and unity between the Deaf and hearing communities in Hong Kong, we strive to create a more inclusive society that celebrates diversity and embraces cultural heritage.
Dr. Youngah Do is an Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Hong Kong. She earned her PhD from MIT and held a position at Georgetown University before joining the faculty at the University of Hong Kong. Dr. Do’s research delves into language learning and learnability across both spoken and signed languages, utilizing a combination of experimentation and computational modeling. Her areas of expertise encompass learning biases, language learning modeling, and the acquisition of linguistic depiction. Her scholarly contributions have been featured in journals such as Cognition, Cognitive Science, Language, and Phonology, among others. She has led several language learning projects, including the articulatory foundations of learning meaning-sound associations, the interplay between visual and auditory modalities in acquiring linguistic imitation, and the learning biases inherent in cross-modal acquisition of signed languages. Most recently, she has been involved in advancing inclusivity and societal impact through her research on Hong Kong Sign Language.