1 Jun
2023
1 Jun
'23
12:02 p.m.
Call for Papers
Creative Bodies—Creative Minds
The third international, interdisciplinary conference in gender research
25-26 March 2024, University of Graz, Austria
Organized by:
Sociology of Gender section, Department of Sociology, University of
Graz, Austria; FH JOANNEUM– University of Applied Sciences Graz; Centre
for Southeast European Studies, University of Graz.
Theoretical discussions on creativity in the last two decades have
addressed existing dichotomies in its conceptualization, such as
professional/everyday and public/private. Cultural studies have then
been critical of creativity being approached in terms of the individual
talent and elite (“creative class”), in economic terms (“creative
industries”) or in terms of exclusive locations (“creative
city”)[1]. Gender scholars, in the meantime, have levelled criticism
at the gendered definition of creativity, too often conceived as a
property of a lone male genius, and at the gender bias of research on
creativity that had tended to overlook activities in which women
typically engaged [2].
Currently, in the European cultural/political space we witness a rise in
the use of diverse artistic, creative, and playful tactics and practices
in protests and everyday activism which challenge structural
inequalities intersecting gender, class, race, ethnicity, sexuality, age
and (dis)ability. Such examples of creative expression, including arts,
crafts, participatory practices, and/or aesthetic interventions in
public space [3], and in feminist and queer politics, in particular
(e.g. “craftivism” [4], “artivism”[5]) challenge the common
understanding of what constitutes political, as well as creative
activities. Likewise, studies on socially engaged art in Southeastern
Europe that have conceptualized “creative work […] as a labor of
care and compassion” [6] make us think beyond the ideas of creativity
in terms of individual self-expression.
The third Creative Bodies—Creative Minds Conference 2024 will explore
the gendered and political aspects of current, historical or everyday
creative practices. DIY-making, as a form of everyday creativity,
carries a different meaning in different political regimes (such as in
the former Eastern Bloc, liberal market democracies, or post-colonial
context). Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns exemplify how everyday
creative practice is/was an adaptive response to external circumstances.
We witnessed how digital media enabled sharing of creative responses to
the constraints, including the use of humor (“from zines to memes”)
to cope with the situation, express care and solidarity, and maintain
relationships. We are interested in exploring creative adaptations to
external circumstances across different political, economic and gender
regimes.
Keynote speakers:
Věra Sokolová, Department of History, Charles University, Prague
Milica Tomić, Institute for Contemporary Art, Graz University of
Technology
The areas of interest for the CBCM 2024 conference include, but are not
limited to:
* creativity and intersectional activism;
* arts, crafts, play as activist and political tools;
* reparative cultural and political practices;
* creative living as an adaptation to different biopolitical
regulations;
* (everyday) creativity across different political, economic and gender
regimes;
* creative labor (precarity, rethinking work/productivity, collective
organizing);
* creative, playful, fun and politicized use of space and time (e.g.
festivals, parks and clubs);
* intersectional activism and digital media;
* humor, playfulness and fun in feminist and LGBTQ+ activism;
* creativity as care for others, collective and solidary creativity;
* DIY, maker movement: from knitting, through home-making to open
source;
* material, processual and relational aspects of creative practices;
* the place of creative methodologies and creative research in teaching
and scholarly research in social
sciences and humanities.
We are inviting proposals for presentations from scholars, practitioners
and postgraduate students from a wide range of disciplines including,
but not limited to: sociology, cultural studies, anthropology, human
geography, political science, gender studies, art, performance, history,
literary studies, social studies of science and technology and
environmental studies.
Please send a 250-word abstract and a 150-word bio note before 10th
September 2023 to creative.bodies(a)uni-graz.at
Registration fee: 190 EUR
Registration fee (student presenters): 130 EUR
The conference registration fee includes the conference dinner, two
lunches, tea/coffee breaks and the conference pack with the book of
abstracts.
Information on registration and updates on the program will be available
on the conference website:
https://creative-bodies.uni-graz.at/en/ [1]
Graz, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site and Cultural Capital of
Europe for 2003, is the capital of the Austrian province of Styria and
the home of Austria’s second largest university.
Conference organizers:
Libora Oates-Indruchová, Professor of Sociology of Gender, University
of Graz
Zorica Siročić, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology,
University of Graz
Birgit Bachler, FH JOANNEUM – University of Applied Sciences Graz
Florian Bieber, Centre for Southeast European Studies, University of
Graz
Wolfgang Kühnelt, FH JOANNEUM – University of Applied Sciences Graz
Biljana Purić, Centre for Southeast European Studies and Institute of
Art History, University of Graz
Gudrun Reimert, FH JOANNEUM – University of Applied Sciences Graz
Important dates:
Submission of abstracts: 10 September 2023
Informing about abstract acceptance: mid-November 2023
Conference registration opens: 15 December 2023
Conference registration ends: 31 January 2024
References:
[1] Oates-Indruchová, Libora and Jana Mikats. 2022. “Gender
Perspectives on Professional and Everyday Creativities: Introduction to
the Special Issue”, _Cultural Studies_ 36 (5): 699-712.
[2] Eisler, Riane and Alfonso Montuori. 2007. “Creativity, Society,
and the Hidden Subtext of Gender: Toward a New Contextualized
Approach,” _World Futures_ (63): 479-99.
[3] Sommer, Doris. 2014. _The Work of Art in the World: Civic Agency and
Public Humanities_. Duke University Press.
[4] Cvetkovich, Ann. 2012. _Depression: A Public Feeling_. Durham, NC:
Duke UP.
[5] Mouffe, Chantal. 2007. “Artistic Activism and Agonistic Spaces”.
_Art & Research_: Chantal Mouffe, Arts & Research. (Available at
www.artandresearch.org.uk/v1n2/mouffe.html [2], last accessed
30.11.2022)
[6] Alacovska, Ana. 2020. “From Passion to Compassion: A Caring
Inquiry into Creative Work as Socially Engaged Art.” _Sociology _54
(4): 727–44.
Links:
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[1] https://creative-bodies.uni-graz.at/en/
[2] http://www.artandresearch.org.uk/v1n2/mouffe.html