Tag: conferences

CFP: ICMS Kalamazoo Session “Introducing Library and Archival Research (A Roundtable)”

The International Society of Medievalist Librarians seeks speakers to join a *hybrid* roundtable at the International Congress on Medieval Studies taking place May 13-15, 2027, at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI.

Session Title: Introducing Library and Archival Research (A Roundtable)

Session Description: Visiting libraries and archives is an important part of the research process, but it can be daunting to do this for the first time. How do you locate suitable primary source materials in catalogs and other databases? How do you set up a research appointment? How do you make the most of an on-site visit? What if you need additional information after you return home? A panel of librarians, archivists, and researchers both new and experienced will answer these important questions and more for students, early career scholars, and anyone embarking on a new research journey.

We welcome contributions from established and emerging professionals engaged in the field of medieval studies considered broadly. This includes librarians, archivists, and other cultural heritage professionals as well as teaching faculty, students, and independent researchers. Each chosen speaker will have approximately 5 minutes to introduce themselves and their experience conducting and/or facilitating research, with the preponderance of time in the session spent responding to questions from attendees about the research process.

Anyone interested must submit through the conference portal ([https://icms.confex.com/icms/2027/prelim.cgi/Session/8653](https://icms.confex.com/icms/2027/prelim.cgi/Session/8653)). For your abstract, please write a brief description of your perspective on the topic of library research and include an indication of your anticipated attendance modality (in person, virtual, or undecided). Proposals are due by Tuesday, September 15th. You may contact Allie McCormack ([allie.mccormack@utah.edu](mailto:allie.mccormack@utah.edu)) with any questions.

CFP: Back to Basics: ICOM COMMS + ICOMON Annual Conference

Master the fundamentals.
Unlock the tools.

When 2 – 4 December 2026
Where Heureka, Vantaa, Finland

The conference theme acknowledges a pivotal moment for the museum sector. Tools that were once available only to large, well-resourced institutions are now within reach of small and medium-sized museums everywhere.

Yet this democratization of technology creates a paradox: the more powerful the tools, the more essential it becomes to master the fundamentals. Strategy before software. Story before algorithm. Human connection before digital spectacle.

The conference advocates a strategic return to core principles — clear communication, collaboration, purposeful audience engagement, sound marketing and PR fundamentals, and institutional storytelling — as the foundation for making high-tech tools truly effective.

For the 1st time, ICOM COMMS and ICOMON will be together, welcoming attendees who will learn how to transform their museum’s online and offline presence by focusing on essential fundamentals of institutional change, storytelling, engagement, and fundraising. Also, ICOM Exhibitions will join us to host and moderate a session.  You just can’t miss it!

Share your story. Shape the conversation.

Call for proposals is open until July 31 2026

We invite all museum professionals — in communications, management, education, and exhibitions — to submit proposals. Whether you lead a national institution or a local community museum, your experience matters.

Papers
Articles
Presentations
Workshops

Special program tracks

Yes, we can: how we overcame the “Not Possible” mindset. Discuss how digital tools have removed historical obstacles related to budgets, staffing, and specialized technical skills in small-to-medium museums.

And we are all together: Unlock High-Impact Audience Engagement in Museum Projects. There is room for great projects that listen to colleagues’ needs and apply fundamental principles to deliver high-quality, professional results.

Follow the money: where are the investments heading? The main challenge for museum directors, which constrains most museum initiatives regardless of their merit, is revenue generation.

CFP: LIDA Biennial International Conference

Conference Themes: Artificial Intelligence and Ethical Institutional Response Emotion and Creativity

Šibenik, Croatia, 19-21 May 2027

Web site: http://lida.ffos.hr/ Email: lida@unizd.hr

Libraries and Information Institutions in the Digital Age (LIDA) conference addresses the changing and challenging environment for libraries and information systems and services in the digital world. LIDA is an international biennial conference that brings together researchers, educators, students, practitioners, and developers from around the world in a forum for sharing ideas, discussions, and learning taking place in Croatia.

The LIDA 2027 conference will be held in Šibenik, a historic town included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List and one of the oldest Croatian self-governing cities on the Adriatic coast.

The LIDA 2027 conference explores questions prompted by the major transformations of memory institutions in the age of artificial intelligence with two inter-related themes: “Artificial Intelligence and Ethical Institutional Response” and “Emotion and Creativity.” In the age of artificial intelligence, technological, philosophical, and humanistic values are becoming intertwined. This presents new opportunities and challenges for memory institutions while encouraging a deeper understanding of the role of emotion and creativity in designing spaces for reflection on, and even counter-response to, artificial intelligence.

Submission of extended abstracts for papers, posters, workshops, panels, other innovative/alternative types of contribution: 10 October 2026 (Notification of acceptance: 1 December 2026)

Read the full call for papers.

CFP: 2027 SOURCES Annual Conference

Please consider submitting a proposal for the 2027 SOURCES Annual Conference (https://www.sourcesconference.com).  It will be held on the campus of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday, January 23, 2027.  As always, the conference is free to attend and is open to all educators interested in the teaching of primary sources to K-12 student populations.  Presenters will provide strategies for using primary sources to help K-12 students engage in learning, develop critical thinking skills, and build content knowledge, specifically in one or more of the following ways: 

  • Determining whether a source is primary or secondary depending on the time or topic under study;
  • Understanding the benefits of learning with primary sources;
  • Accessing primary sources and related materials from loc.gov that support specific learning goals;
  • Using Library of Congress Primary Source Analysis Tool and Teacher’s Guides to observe, reflect, and question primary sources;
  • Identifying key considerations for selecting primary sources based on learner needs, interests, goals, and desire to create;
  • Understanding how to review and apply copyright information.
  • Applying citation guidelines when using primary sources and other materials from loc.gov;
  • Analyzing primary sources in multiple formats;
  • Comparing and contrasting related primary sources to identify multiple perspectives; and
  • Developing inquiry, historical thinking, and literacy skills with primary sources. 

For more information about the SOURCES Conference and to submit a proposal, visit the conference web site (https://www.sourcesconference.com), or email Scott Waring (swaring@ucf.edu) with any questions.  Proposals need to be submitted by Wednesday, September 30, 2026, to be properly reviewed for possible inclusion. 

CFP: Digitise. Transform. Inspire. 2026 Conference (Prague)

Submission Deadline: 1 August 2026

The DTI Annual Conference is an international meeting place for professionals driving the digital transformation of archives. Jointly organised by DTI, ICARUS, and the National Archives of the Czech Republic, it provides a forum for exchanging experiences, exploring emerging technologies, and showcasing practical approaches that are shaping the next generation of archival practice.

We invite archivists, digital preservation specialists, technologists, researchers, and innovators to share practical experiences, proven approaches, and transformative ideas that are shaping the digital transformation of archives.

We are particularly interested in contributions that demonstrate real-world impact, address concrete challenges, and offer lessons that others can apply in their own institutions and projects.

Whether you have developed a new workflow, transformed access to collections, built innovative partnerships, or discovered an inspiring way of working with archival documents, we invite you to share your experience and inspire the community.

Read the full call for papers.

CfP: History of Disaster in Libraries

History of Disaster in Libraries
CILIP Library & Information History Group Annual Conference 2026
Newnham College, Cambridge, Tuesday 8 December

Libraries have historically been destroyed, rebuilt, and recovered from disaster. Whether from flood, fire, theft, war, or individual bad actors, salvage has always formed a part of heritage and conservation, and libraries have regularly adapted to new sites and tasks in disastrous conditions. This conference will explore the history of catastrophic events and the libraries that survived them. 

The Library & Information History Group invites potential speakers to submit an abstract (500 words or less) and short biography (100 words or less) by the closing date of Friday 31 July.

Suggested topics are:

  • Case studies of historic disasters affecting libraries
  • Historical accounts of disaster recovery and salvage operations
  • Historical accounts of theft, forgery, or other malpractice
  • Analyses of libraries operating in adverse circumstances
  • Alternative uses of library spaces in historic disasters

Papers should be no longer than 20 minutes in length, and we ask potential speakers to be mindful of the historical angle of the conference. Therefore, we will not consider any paper for which the primary focus is later than the turn of the twenty-first century. 

This is an in-person conference and will not be recorded, though a summary will follow in the Library & Information Group newsletter. Please submit all abstracts and any queries to Eve Lacey at eve.lacey@newn.cam.ac.uk

Contact Email

eve.lacey@newn.cam.ac.uk

URL

https://www.cilip.org.uk/members/group_content_view.asp?group=201304&id=698161

Attachments

CfP History of Disaster in Libraries

2026 SAA Research Forum Now Available

The 2026 Research Forum Committee is excited to announce that the 2026 Research Forum Agenda is now available online! 

This year’s SAA Research Forum will be conducted as two Zoom-based virtual sessions, each four hours long, on Wednesday, July 8 from 12:00 – 4:00 pm CT and Wednesday, July 15 from 12:00 – 4:00 pm CT. Both days will feature a mix of 10-minute platform presentations and 5-minute lightning talks, and a full breakdown of each day’s schedule can be found on the 2026 Agenda page. 

Registration is also open for Day One and Day Two of the 2026 Research Forum: 

July 8th (12-4pm CT): Day One Registration

July 15th (12-4pm CT): Day Two Registration

Registration is free, and you do not need to be a member of SAA to attend. We hope to see you there! 

Best, 

Emily Lapworth and Jane Fiegel

2026 SAA Research Forum Coordinators

CFP: Photography, Archive, and Political Imagination (online, 23-25 Sep 26)

Deadline: Jul 15, 2026

Visual Thinking and Futures of Democracy. Photography, Archive, and Political Imagination.

7th edition of REFRAMING THE ARCHIVE: International Conference on Photography and Visual Culture.

How do images shape democratic life? Not only as records of politics, but as forces that constitute visibility, authority, and participation?
​
This conference examines photography and archival practices as contested sites where democracy is made, negotiated, and disrupted: between evidence and control, memory and exclusion, protest and institutional power.
We invite contributions from researchers, artists, and practitioners engaging with photography, archives, activism, and visual culture across historical and contemporary contexts.

KEYNOTE & GUEST SPEAKERS
DR NONI STACEY, Cultural Historian, United Kingdom
DR TOM ALLBESON, Cardiff University, United Kingdom
DR ÖZGE ÇELIKASLAN, Visual Artist, Researcher, Activist, Turkey/Germany
MARCELO BRODSKY, Visual Artist, Argentina

This conference proceeds from the premise that photography and archival visual practices do not simply document democratic life, but actively participate in the production of its conditions. Rather than treating images as representations of political reality, it approaches visual practices as sites in which subjects relations of recognition, authority, and participation are constituted and contested. Photography is thus understood not as a neutral medium of documentation, but as a dispositif through which subjects are rendered visible, legible, and governable, while simultaneously sustaining forms of civic address and political agency (Azoulay, 2008, 2019).

This ambivalence is not incidental. Since its emergence, photography has been bound to competing and often contradictory political functions: as a technology of exposure and a mechanism of control; as a means of rendering injustice visible and as an instrument in the administration of populations; as a vehicle for democratic communication and as a support for imperial, colonial, and capitalist orders. The persistent alignment of photography with accessibility, transparency, and evidentiary truth has contributed to its enduring association with democratic ideals, even as these same attributes underpin its authority within regimes of surveillance, classification, and governance (Mirzoeff, 2011, 2017).

Central to this problem is the epistemological status of the image. Photography has historically operated through an assumed equivalence between visibility and knowledge, whereby seeing is aligned with knowing and presence with recognition. This equivalence underwrites the image’s authority as evidence while obscuring the conditions of its production, circulation, and interpretation. It is precisely this instability that enables photography to function simultaneously as a site of political claim-making and as an instrument through which such claims are regulated, mediated, or foreclosed.

Within this framework, archives cannot be understood as neutral repositories of the past. They are epistemic and political infrastructures that organise what becomes historically legible, delimiting the field of visibility within which subjects and events acquire meaning. As systems of selection, classification, and preservation, archives structure the conditions under which recognition is granted or withheld, and thus play a constitutive role in the production of political reality. Their apparent function as guarantors of memory and access is inseparable from their role in stabilising authority and reproducing regimes of knowledge.

At the same time, visual practices operate within sites of conflict, dissent, and uprising. Images do not simply represent political struggle; they participate in it. They condense and transmit gestures of resistance, circulate affects, and intervene in the temporalities of political action, reactivating past struggles within present contexts (Didi-Huberman, 2016). Yet these same images are also subject to processes of capture, circulation, and institutional framing that re-inscribe them within dominant visual orders. The political force of images thus resides not in their capacity to reveal truth, but in their unstable position within competing regimes of visibility.

In recent decades, this dynamic has become particularly visible in the convergence of artistic practice and activist mobilisation. From the visual cultures of uprisings and occupations to ongoing movements such as Black Lives Matter and Rhodes Must Fall, images have circulated across streets, networks, and institutions, often exceeding or displacing conventional sites of artistic display. These practices not only mobilise visual forms but reconfigure the spaces in which they operate, challenging the authority of museums, galleries, and archives while exposing their entanglement in broader political and economic structures. In this sense, activist aesthetics does not simply intervene in existing regimes of visibility, but calls into question the institutional and spatial frameworks through which such regimes are sustained.

Alongside these dynamics of conflict and contestation, recent forms of practice have foregrounded the role of participation, imagination, and collective engagement in reconfiguring democratic life. Participatory and socially engaged artistic practices increasingly operate as sites in which publics are not only represented but constituted through processes of interaction, collaboration, and shared authorship. Such practices extend beyond institutional or policy-driven models of participation, cultivating dispersed and open-ended forms of engagement that unfold across everyday spaces and mediated environments. In doing so, they contribute to the formation of a reflective and imaginative public sphere, in which alternative social and political possibilities can be articulated, negotiated, and rehearsed (Cunningham & Hammond, 2026). This shift raises the question of whether democratic transformation emerges not only through opposition to existing structures, but through the creation of new forms of collective experience and political imagination.

This instability is further intensified in contemporary conditions, where digital infrastructures and algorithmic systems reorganise the circulation, visibility, and legibility of images at scale. The promise of expanded access is entangled with new forms of extraction, surveillance, and control, raising renewed questions about the relationship between visibility, power, and democratic participation. At stake, then, is not only how images function within democratic contexts, but how particular understandings of photography have been historically bound to the very idea of democracy itself. Visual media have played a central role in shaping the terms of political recognition, in constituting and fragmenting communities, and in mediating both consensus and conflict within contemporary democratic formations (Stacey, 2020).

The conference invites contributions from researchers, scholars, visual artists, practitioners, and cultural professionals at any stage of their careers, that critically engage with photography and archives as sites in which democratic relations are produced, mediated, and contested. Particular attention is given to practice-led artistic and curatorial work, as well as collaborative and community-based projects, that engage archives and visual media as sites of intervention, reworking historical materials and visual regimes in ways that challenge dominant narratives and open alternative political imaginaries.

We welcome proposals for 15-minute theory, practice-led, and performative presentations (followed by 15-minute panel discussion) from various disciplines, including: photography, art history and theory, anthropology, museology, philosophy, cultural studies, visual and media studies, and related areas. These presentations should offer an in-depth investigation into the conference topic. Please note that the conference will be conducted in English.

Submissions may address, but are not limited to, the following lines of inquiry:

1. ARCHIVES, POWER, AND THE PRODUCTION OF KNOWLEDGE
Examines how photographic archives organise regimes of visibility and historical knowledge, shaping political recognition, belonging, and exclusion.

2. COUNTER-ARCHIVES, ACTIVISM, AND PRACTICES OF REPAIR
Focuses on practices that mobilise images and archives to intervene in dominant visual orders, including reappropriation, restitution, removal, and repair.

3. REACTIVATING THE ARCHIVE: AESTHETICS, ETHICS, POLITICS
Addresses artistic and curatorial engagements that reconfigure archival materials and raise questions of authorship, ownership, and responsibility.

4. IMAGES AS EVIDENCE, IMAGES AS POLITICAL ACTION
Considers the role of images as evidentiary forms and as instruments of intervention within legal, civic, and political contexts.

5. DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURES AND ALGORITHMIC VISIBILITY
Explores how digital platforms and algorithmic systems reorganisation of regimes of visibility, access, and circulation.

6. AESTHETICS, ACTIVISM, AND POLITICAL IMAGINARIES
Investigates how images operate within protest, dissent, and participatory practices, and how they contribute to the formation of collective imaginaries and forms of democratic engagement.

7. MUSEUMS, INSTITUTIONS, AND THE POLITICS OF DISPLAY
Examines how museums, galleries, and cultural institutions shape regimes of visibility and public memory through exhibitionary and curatorial practices, and how these processes are contested, reconfigured, or displaced by artistic and activist interventions.

SUBMISSION
Applications must be sent via email to info@reframingthearchive.com no later than July 15, 2026, by 11:59:00 p.m. WEST.
Applicants should submit one proposal only, in English.
Presentations have a duration of 15 minutes and should adhere to one of the following formats:

INDIVIDUAL PAPERS
Applicants are required to submit the information listed below in one PDF file:
— Author information (name, email, affiliation, ORCID)
— Paper title, abstract (300 words max), and keywords (maxi 5),
— Bibliographical references (max 5),
— Author short biographical note (written in third person, 100 words).

This information must be gathered into one PDF document with the filename saved as: FirstnameLastname-RTA2026.pdf. The applicant should indicate in the subject line: IND Application for RTA 2026 Conference.

PRE-CONSTITUTED PANELS
Submission of proposals for pre-constituted panels should consist of three papers. The corresponding candidate is required to submit a panel proposal that includes:
— Panel title and abstract (250 words)
— Information regarding the three speakers and their individual papers, as described in the guidelines for individual papers above.

​This information must be gathered into one PDF document with the filename saved as: FirstnameLastname-RTA2026.pdf. (name of the corresponding applicant)
The applicant should indicate in the subject line: PAN Application for RTA 2026 Conference.

SELECTION PROCESS
The submitted proposals will undergo a peer-review process, and candidates will be notified of the results of their proposals by September 4, 2026.
Selected speakers must confirm participation in the conference and complete registration within one week of receiving the selection notification.

PUBLICATION
Extended versions of the presented papers should be submitted for publication by 17 Oct 2026 via Archivo Papers manuscript system at http://www.archivopapers.com.
Following a double blind peer-review process, the papers will be featured​ ​in​ ​an​ ​edited​ ​volume of Archivo Papers, co-edited by Ana Catarina Pinho, Laura Singeot, and Jane Simon, to be published in 2027.

IMPORTANT DATES
Deadline​ ​for​ ​submission:​ ​Jul 15,​ ​2026
Notification​ ​of​ ​selected speakers:​ Sep 04,​ ​2026
Deadline​ ​for​ ​speakers​ ​registration:​ ​one week after confirmation of acceptance
Conference:​ ​Sept 23-25,​ ​​2026 (Online)
Manuscript submission for publication:​ ​Oct 17,​ ​​2026

Org. Committee
Dr Ana Catarina Pinho, IHA, Nova University of Lisbon, Portugal
Dr Laura Singeot, Tours University, France
Dr Jane Simon, Macquarie University, Australia

CFP: Digital Preservation 2026 – Striking a Balance – Optimizing Labor for Sustainability and Resilience (due July 1)

Conference Format and Dates

Digital Preservation 2026 will be held virtually on November 4-5, 2026.

Conference Theme: Striking a Balance: Optimizing Labor for Sustainability and Resilience

As digital preservation professionals, we are accustomed to juggling diverse tasks and balancing multiple priorities. However, recent technological and political developments have impacted our perspectives on labor and how we can best allocate resources and effort. For the 2026 NDSA Digital Preservation conference, we invite proposals that explore the ways that we approach, manage, and perform labor from multiple angles. Which tasks can we assign to software applications, and which still require human intervention? How can we leverage the potential benefits of AI tools while protecting the security and integrity of our collections and digital assets from unauthorized exploitation? Our current reality of budget cuts and hiring freezes is coupled with ever-expanding digital collections. With this reality, what are the practical limits of our capacity and potential, and how do we line those up with our visions and ideals? How can we advocate differently to secure resources that can support a resilient preservation infrastructure in the midst of humanitarian and environmental crises? How can effective programs be established in the midst of constant change? Once established, what steps can be taken to stabilize a digital preservation program and ensure its continuance? What opportunities exist for community engagement that might help navigate these emerging challenges? What opportunities can we create? What self-care strategies can digital preservation practitioners adopt to manage the demands of productivity and the stress of an ever-changing environment?

Call for Proposals

We invite presentations that relate to the conference theme. Possible topics include but are not limited to:

  • Digital preservation and curation
  • Born-digital collections
  • Preservation metadata
  • Partnerships and consortia
  • Advocacy and outreach
  • Donor relations
  • Emotional labor and burnout
  • Project management
  • Change management
  • Contingency planning
  • Staff management
  • AI and machine learning in digital preservation
  • Workflows
  • Digital preservation tools
  • Copyright and privacy issues

Submission Information

Submission length and format

  • 5-minute lightning talks
  • 15-minute talks or demos. Talks will be grouped into panels of three presentations on a similar theme with a shared 15-minute question and answer period for the hour-long session.
  • 25-minute talks or demos. Talks will be grouped into panels of two presentations on a similar theme with a shared 10-minute question and answer period for the hour-long session.

Submission Requirements

  • Proposal title
  • First and last names, organizational affiliations, and email addresses for all authors / presenters
  • Abstract (50 words max)
  • Proposal (250 words)
  • All submissions are under a CC-BY 4.0 license, which allows for sharing and adaptation of content but requires appropriate credit and an indication of any changes made by others. Presenters must agree to share their work under this license in the submission form. After DigiPres 2026, works will be uploaded to NDSA’s YouTube channel and made available for viewing.

Evaluation Criteria

All submissions will be peer-reviewed by NDSA’s Digital Preservation 2026 Program Committee. The DigiPres Planning Committee will give strong preference to programming that is fully inclusive and reflects a wide range of expression and identity. When evaluating proposals, the Planning Committee will:

  • Consider the contribution of the submission to the overall conference program,
  • Recommend the proposal on a scale of 1-5 whether to reject or accept the proposal, and
  • Rate their familiarity with the proposal topic on a scale of 1-5 (1 being completely new, 5 being very familiar).
  • They may recommend the proposal for presentation as a lightning talk.

Submit your Proposal

Submit your proposal now. The submission deadline is July 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

Presenters will be notified of their acceptance starting in late July. All presentations must be recorded for playback during the conference. Presenters should be available for a live question and answer period during the scheduled session time. Presenters will receive support in the form of tutorials, resources, and individual assistance.

Note: All conference attendees are expected to abide by the NDSA Code of Conduct, and proposals should be submitted in the spirit of NDSA’s Values and Principles.

Questions?

Feel free to reach out to ndsa.digipres@gmail.com and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.

About the NDSA and Digital Preservation Virtual 2026

NDSA is a consortium of over 275 organizations committed to the long-term preservation and stewardship of digital information and cultural heritage. Digital Preservation 2026 is the conference hosted by NDSA. Open to members and non-members alike, it highlights the theory and practice of digital stewardship and preservation, data curation, the digital object lifecycle, and related issues.

CFP: Thinking through Heirlooms (6th Nov 2026, University of Brighton)

Keynote Speaker: Prof Soumhya Venkatesan with Lydia Donohue (University of Manchester)

The word ‘heirloom’ evokes objects tucked away in wardrobes, imbued with woody, musty fragrance, aged with patina and eerie silence – rescued, retained, preserved, and remembered. Their fate remains unpredictable: second-hand stores, antique shops, auction houses, museum collections. Heirlooms chart different trajectories with different owners, soaked in different personalities, carrying a panoply of histories imposed by each owner. As objects moving between generations, heirlooms accrue, embody, and elicit multiple meanings, holding both personal and cultural relevance and developing their own life histories. Around this central object, scholars have explored postmemory, kinship, hidden heirlooms, space and homes, memorial samples, family archives, home cultures, migration, and industrial heritage. Not restricted to physical objects alone – what about the intangible? What if the heirloom no longer exists, resulting in ‘oral heirlooms’ (Ajit, 2015) or the passing of skill as inheritance?

This symposium unravels such complexities by examining alternative ways of listening and reading heirlooms, deconstructing established ideas of what an heirloom is, and unlocking new knowledge embedded within them. The symposium follows three themes:

1.     Person-Object Relationships: Laden with emotional weight, heirlooms share tenuous relationships with owner identity, invoking unique ‘person-object’ relationships (McCracken, 1988), suggesting multiple ways relations are articulated through things. Lying at the intersection of objects, people, and relationships, heirlooms reinforce the central role artefacts play in understanding culture and society, with materials and materiality serving as conduits for these relationships. One may also examine the making process of an heirloom, its crafting and craftsmanship, with materials ranging from metal, ceramic, wood, textiles, paper, and plastic, taking forms including pottery, decorative arts, needlework, clothing, photographs, furniture and furnishings, ornaments, musical instruments, recipes, letters, and diaries.

2.     Transference and Transactions: While heirlooms and intergenerationality are often intertwined, non-linear passing is not uncommon. Bequeathing may not always be from older to younger; heirlooms are sometimes passed before death, making one an ‘unprepared custodian’ (Dimmock, 2025). This theme subverts dominant ways of receiving heirlooms and the spaces they occupy, including archives and museum collections. Heirlooms do not always follow patrilineal lineage; thus, questions of hierarchy, value, and significance emerge. Further, not all heirlooms are held with importance; they are forgotten or misremembered. Such heirlooms matter too, inextricably connected to ways of remembering: material memory, cultural memory, and sensory memory.

3.     The New Heirlooms: Can heirlooms be chosen? What happens when one is left without ancestors, resulting in non-consanguineous heirlooms? What if heirlooms are intentional, specifically created? In crafting new heirlooms, what role can designers play in creating timeless, durable objects for longevity, encouraging custodianship through embedding memory? With rising eco-consciousness, what all do digital heirlooms entail (Giaccardi et al., 2012)? This theme engages with tensions and contradictions in the digital humanities, sustainability studies, and technology heirlooms – electronic artefacts, online memorialization and social media. How can we speculate imaginative futures around care and heirlooms, including exploring heirlooms as educational tools to foster better relationships?

We encourage submissions from design history, textile studies, design anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, museum studies, design research, archive studies, oral history, feminist studies, material culture, and beyond. We welcome encounters with heirlooms: theoretical and object-based studies, personal reflections and artistic explorations across media. We especially encourage submissions from affiliated and unaffiliated scholars, including graduate students, early career researchers, artists, independent researchers, designers, and practitioners.

Please send your proposals for a 15-minute presentation or a 5–10-minute video or performance as a 300–400-word abstract, by submitting on the form below, before 3rd July 2026. We will respond to all the submissions with a decision by the end of July. We aim to publish the knowledge and discussions that emerge from this symposium as a volume by a renowned publisher, subject to confirmation. If you have any questions or wish to discuss the submission in alternative formats, please do not hesitate to write to either of us.

Submission Link: CFP – Thinking Through Heirlooms: An Interdisciplinary Symposium (6th Nov 2026) – Fill out form

References

  • Ajit, A. (2015). Oral Heirlooms: The Vocalisation of Loss and Objects. Oral History, 70–78.
  • Dimmock, K. (2025). What Do I Do with all This Stuff? Inheritance and the Unprepared Custodian: Relating Meaning Through the Mediated Artistic Collection (Doctoral dissertation, Open Research Newcastle).
  • Giaccardi, E., Churchill, E., & Liu, S. (2012). Heritage Matters: Designing for Current and Future Values Through Digital and Social Technologies. In CHI’12 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2783–2786.
  • McCracken, G. (1990). Culture and Consumption. Indian University Press.

Contact Information

Symposium Organisers: 

Pragya Sharma (University of Brighton, UK)

p.sharma6@uni.brighton.ac.uk

Prof Saumya Pande (Slow Stitch Foundation, India)

pandesaumya17@gmail.com

Contact Email

PRAGYA.SHARMA57@GMAIL.COM

Attachments

Full Call for Papers