“Reimagining the Archive in the Post-Truth Era: An International Interdisciplinary Conference” on 29 June–3 July 2026 at Eden Grove Complex, Rhodes University
Proposal Deadline (Second Call): 15 April 2026
In an age of distortion and falsification, can the archive claim any mandate to speak the truth?
With present-day global socio-political and technological developments, we are living in a time where expertise is undermined and the always-tenuous boundaries between “truth” and “fiction” are increasingly blurred. More than ever before, the archive has emerged as both a site of authority and a field of dispute.
The “post-truth” era – characterised by the rise of misinformation, historical denialism, and digital echo chambers reinforced by social media algorithms – demands a fundamental rethinking of how archives are imagined, constructed, accessed, and interpreted. This conference invites historians, archivists, anthropologists, musicologists, artists, environmental scientists, natural scientists, information systems professionals, scholars and practitioners from a wide range of other disciplines, activists, and publishers, media practitioners and content creators to explore the evolving role of the archive in shaping collective memory, public trust, and historical knowledge in the post-truth era. What does it mean to “reimagine the archive” when truth itself is increasingly contested and under siege? How can archives resist manipulation, amplify marginalized voices, and act as tools for critical engagement in an age of epistemic crisis? Do they have a responsibility to extend their reach, actively sharing information rather than serving as ivory-tower repositories of research? We welcome papers and panels that engage with topics including but not limited to:
- The politicization and weaponization of historical records
- Archives and other repositories in the age of misinformation and conspiracy theories
- Forgery, authenticity, and the ethics of archival evidence
- Archives and genealogical fictions
- The rise of “counter-archives”
- Digitization, AI, and the reconfiguration of archival authority
- Disinformation, deepfakes, and the future of historical and scientific truth
- Post-Colonial, decolonial and anticolonial archival methodologies
- Silences, absences, and erasures in traditional archives
- Archival justice and truth-telling in transitional societies
- Creative, speculative, and performative archival practices
- The role of curation in archive building
- Content management strategies for building spaces of truth
- Policy design and legislative frameworks
- The role of archives in repatriation and social justice
- Epistemologies, ontologies and taxonomies
- The role of print media in the post-truth era
- Rights, responsibilities and the ethical use of information in the era of big data
- Self-curation, social media and algorithm generated archives.
We are especially interested in submissions that critically engage with interdisciplinary approaches, including digital humanities, media studies, cultural memory, fine and performing arts, public history, environmental and natural sciences, ecological challenges, and archival management and practice (including scientific archives and repositories such as herbaria).
Alternative presentation formats such as performative works, film screenings and/or the display of artefacts may be considered depending on the technical requirements and our ability to accommodate them within the programme and venue.
It is envisaged that a selection of papers will be peer reviewed and submitted to an accredited peer reviewed journal for publication. Other peer reviewed publication possibilities are currently under consideration.
Submission Guidelines
Please submit a 300-word abstract and a brief biography (100 to 150 words) by 15 April 2026 to archiveconference@ru.ac.za. Panel proposals (3 to 5 presenters) are welcome and should include a panel title, a short overview (250 to 300 words), and individual paper abstracts. Notifications of acceptance will be sent by 30 April 2026. For any queries, please contact the organiser, Prof Alan Kirkaldy, at archiveconference@ru.ac.za. Updates and additional information will be available at the conference website once it is up and running.
Costs
- Professionals (for example, Full-time Academics in employment and Representatives of Organisations) R5000.00
- Postgraduate/Postdoc Students and Unemployed R3500.00
- Single Day Professionals R1000
- Single Day Postgraduate/Postdoc Students and Unemployed R500.00
- On-Campus Accommodation: 4 Nights Bed and Breakfast Accommodation @R700 per night R2100.00
- Off-Campus Accommodation: Information will follow once the website is up and running.
- Transport – Shuttle from Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) to Makhanda (Grahamstown) Single: R500.00 Return R1000.
Workshops
The first day of the conference will be devoted to a workshop dealing with the whole process of building a digital archive presented by Africa Media Online. Participation in this highly informative and useful workshop is included in the cost of registration for the conference.
National Festival of the Arts
The conference coincides with this annual Festival. Negotiations are currently in progress to secure cooperative agreements, including discounted or complementary tickets to selected productions. Further details will follow.
Contact Information
Prof Emeritus Alan Kirkaldy, Rhodes University
Contact Email
a.kirkaldy@ru.ac.za
Publishing in the Archives Profession 