Expanding the Field: Rethinking Methodologies in British Art Research
- 14 March to 17 April 2023
- Deadline 5:00 pm
- Call for papers for a one-day colloquium to explore both new and established methodologies and approaches to British art studies. Convened by the Paul Mellon Centre’s Doctoral Researchers Network (DRN) and Early Career Researchers Network (ECRN).
The Summer Symposium will take place on 23 June 2023. It will be a hybrid event. The in-person event will be held at the Paul Mellon Centre, and will be followed by a social gathering for all DRN and ECRN members.
This symposium offers an opportunity for doctoral and early-career researchers to share and discuss their research methods, ethics and methodologies. The aim is to showcase new, creative and varied approaches to conducting, capturing, synthesising and disseminating academic research on British art history and visual culture from all periods. By questioning “how we come to know what we know”, we aim to reflect on the current possibilities, dilemmas and challenges in academic research. Presentations might: share decolonial, postcolonial, feminist or queer perspectives; address the impact of quantitative and data-driven methodologies; report on practice-based, curatorial or collaborative research; or reflect on the role of different media, including digital, audio and filmmaking.
The symposium presents an opportunity for researchers to develop works in progress and foster new relationships, which we hope will lead to future collaborations. We invite submissions for papers (fifteen minutes long) that address any aspect of British (broadly conceived) art, architecture or visual culture in any period. Papers could:
- present research in the context of the methodologies used
- consider the influence of digital and filmmaking methods
- focus on the knowledge exchange and impact opportunities of research undertaken
- expand upon the field of practice-based methodologies
- focus on the concept of caring and inclusion applied to research
- discuss projects of co-curation or community curation
- reflect upon social activism in the museum sector
- examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on British art research
As well as conference papers, the DRN and ECRN co-convenors will also consider proposals for pieces of creative writing, film essays (for a definition: https://blog.jarmanlab.org/resources/) and forms of performance.
Submission Details
Submission deadline: Monday 17 April 2023, 5pm BST
- All abstracts must be submitted and presented in English.
- Abstracts should be based on any of the topic areas listed above, or in related areas.
- Abstracts must not be longer than 300 words.
- Abstracts should be accompanied by a biography of approximately 100 words (please do not send CVs).
- Notification of acceptance of the abstracts submitted will be sent via email by mid-May.
- A discretionary travel fund is available for in-person attendance.
- Please contact us to discuss additional access funding.
Enquiries and final submissions should be directed to [email protected].
Listing image: War Sonnet, Anwar Jalal Shemza, oil on canvas, 1969. © The Estate of Anwar Jalal Shemza. All rights reserved, DACS 2023. Photo credit: Bradford Museums and Galleries