Anthropologists, social scientists, and classicists have all long been showing strong interrelationships between arts and rituals in various cultures — both ancient and contemporary. Recognising that medieval arts and rituals presuppose each other, NetMAR has aimed to break new ground by addressing their intersections. Given the importance of Cyprus within both the Byzantine and Western medieval worlds, the project has examined Western medieval arts and rituals at the nexus where they coexisted and interacted with their Byzantine counterparts. NetMAR has started from the premise that medieval arts cannot be sufficiently or productively understood unless they are examined together and in relation to rituals; and that rituals are better comprehended within the framework of their associated arts. In an attempt to address this need, NetMAR has used the concepts of ‘ritual’, ‘ritualisation’ and ‘performance’ through which all types of medieval arts can be brought under one roof. Such a holistic approach constitutes a desideratum for Medieval Studies, as it contributes towards a better understanding of the workings of medieval cultures, and it reveals aspects that could not otherwise be seen. At the same time, it allows modern European societies to come to terms with their medieval heritage.
NetMAR’s various Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) have included staff exchanges, expert visits, webinars, workshops, a summer school, conference organisation and attendance, and dissemination and outreach activities. The expertise and capacities acquired by these CSA, along with the continuous assistance of the advanced partners, have facilitated UCY to:
• produce high-impact publications,
• provide relevant electronic publications for non-academic audiences,
• establish an international, interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed, and diamond open access scholarly journal (Eventum: A Journal of Medieval Arts and Rituals),
• upgrade its research management and administration unit,
• support its Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) and promote their career by taking into consideration gender equality.
NetMAR has performed an immense amount of work, including:
1. the creation and setting up of a new research centre at UCY that is dedicated to the study of medieval arts and rituals (CeMAR),
2. establishment of a Platform of Long-lasting Cooperation with the Advanced Partners,
3. training of the four UCY ESRs in proposal preparation and project administration through specifically organised and dedicated seminars and workshops,
4. knowledge transfer to all NetMAR ESRs and the rest of the project participants on subjects concerning the interactions of arts and rituals within the framework of the NetMAR clusters (Places, Structures, Experiences, and Influences),
5. setting up of the project’s journal which will was out in September 2023,
6. preparation and submission of 13 proposals for national and European funding two of which were successful; the results of another two will be out within 2024,
7. organisation of 6 academic conferences and 8 sessions in international conferences,
8. organisation of 2 online and an in-person networking events at the International Medieval Congress (Leeds, UK) and the International Congress of Medieval Studies (Kalamazoo, USA)
9. organisation of 3 non-academic events,
10. participation in 30 international conferences/workshops,
11. publication of 13 open access scholarly works (another 14 publications are in print),
12. publication of 30 blog texts
13. collaboration with 6 new institutions,
14. collaboration with non-academic stakeholders,
15. timely submission of all project deliverables despite the Covid-19 pandemic,
16. realisation of all CSA actions foreseen for the project, despite some delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
