Cardiff & District Classical Association talk
Dr Gina Bevan: ‘The Mythical Medusa in Pop Music Performance’
Thursday 19 March 2026, 6.00pm (for 6.30pm start)
Cardiff and Vale College, One Canal Parade, Cardiff, CF10 5BF
We are delighted to announce that Dr Gina Bevan, a Cardiff alumna and published author working on modern receptions of ancient myths, will be the speaker of the next event organised by the Cardiff and District Classical Association Branch, in collaboration with the Cardiff and Vale College our partner in promoting and diversifying classics in the region.
Tea and cake at 6.00pm will open the evening as usual.
Abstract
What do Rihanna, Madonna, and Lady Gaga have in common with the ancient Gorgon Medusa? This talk will explore how contemporary female pop icons reimagine one of mythology’s most demonised women.
It will examine the enduring fascination with Medusa and consider what she represents today. The argument will be made that the selected pop stars function as modern Medusas, reclaiming narratives surrounding the so-called monstrous female body through their performances. In doing so, they both participate in and update Medusa’s story, commanding – and fixing – the audience’s gaze as if turned to stone.
Throughout, Medusa will serve as a lens through which to examine the construction of female narratives, questions of agency, and the dynamics of the gaze between pop star and spectator. By returning to Medusa’s myth and its use in feminist film theory, this talk proposes a new theoretical framework for reading images of women onscreen. What emerges is a Medusa whose meaning is not fixed but fluid – ready to be reclaimed and reimagined for a modern audience.
Speaker’s Bio
Dr Gina Bevan completed her PhD at Cardiff University in 2021. Her doctoral thesis was an interdisciplinary study examining the figure of Medusa in modern popular culture, arguing that the Gorgon can be used as a critical lens through which to interpret images of contemporary female pop stars. This research has since been developed into a monograph, The Mythical Medusa in Pop Music Performance, published by Bloomsbury Academic.
A Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), she is committed to widening participation in higher education through her academic roles at Cardiff University, The Open University and at Swansea University where she is the current BA Humanities Programme Director.
This is a free event and all are welcome!
For catering purposes we kindly ask for advance booking through this LINK.
If you would like to join the dinner with the speaker after the event at a local restaurant, please email Maria Fragoulaki at fragoulakim@cardiff.ac.uk
Note: for queries about any events hosted by local CA branches, please contact the branch directly (details are available on the Branches page)