International Conference - Call for Papers
Carnival, Steelpan, Calypso and Expressive Cultures of the Caribbean
Oxford Brookes University
Brookes Headington Campus
(Headington Rd, Oxford OX3 0BP, near Oxford City Centre)
1-2 July 2022
After cancellations of Carnivals across the UK and around the world, this season is likely to see most offline events return to the streets and venues.
- • How has the pandemic affected Caribbean Carnival Arts and Cultures?
- • Which Carnival practices have moved centre stage to cope with the losses, grief and disruptions of the crisis?
- • What new forms of engagement, participation and community have emerged?
CfP: Caribbean Carnival Arts and Cultures
Call for Papers – Caribbean Carnival Arts and Cultures, 1 - 3 July 2022 (Conference 1-2 July, 3 July - a carnival)
The conference will bring together researchers, participants, costume designers, musicians, culinary artists, filmmakers and members of Caribbean Carnival organisations in the UK and internationally to showcase and analyse Carnival’s multifaceted manifestations. The conference is organised in a hybrid format making it possible to join the gathering in Oxford in person or online.
The event builds on the succession of international biannual conferences on carnival arts held in London from 2006 and also seeks to promote the activities of the International Journal of Carnival Arts. It is organised in collaboration with the Creative Industries Research and Innovation Network at Oxford Brookes University and local partners.
Call for Papers
The conference seeks to bring together scholars, practitioners and experts to celebrate the breadth of research and creativity in Carnival Arts and Cultures. The organisers welcome ideas and suggestions regarding contributions in different formats, including but not limited to papers (academic presentations will be 15 minutes long), panels (complete panels should consist of three to four speakers), workshops and exhibitions. Topics might include:
- The relationship between politics, pleasure and play in Carnival
- Empowerment and disempowerment in Carnival
- Transnational and –cultural relationships between the UK and global Caribbean Carnivals
- Historical perspectives and revisions of Caribbean Carnival Arts
- Oral history and archives of Caribbean Carnival in the UK
- The role of small-scale and local Carnivals in community cohesion, education and mental health
- Under-researched areas such as culinary arts, ecological issues, dis/abilities, etc.
- Impact and dis/continuities of virtual Carnival programmes
- The role of social media platforms, digital practices and counter-hegemonic uses of technology
We invite submissions of abstracts up to 250 words (including format chosen, whether online, on campus or flexible, affiliations and role, details of panel members where relevant, and abstract). Abstracts are welcomed from all disciplines and can address the themes outlined above, but we also welcome proposals that fall outside the list of topics. Please submit your abstract along with a short bio of no more than 150 words by the 6th May 2022l to hklien-thomas@brookes.ac.uk.
We are excited to read your proposals and look forward to coming together to celebrate Carnival Arts and Cultures!
Best wishes,
Hanna Klien-Thomas and Haroun Shah
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