Tag: international

CfP Museums in Motion: New Frontiers in Chinese Museum Studies

We are delighted to invite papers for the international workshop ‘Museums in Motion: New Frontiers in Chinese Museum Studies’, to be held in person and online at the University of Siena on 13-14 November 2025. 

Studying Chinese museums is both an intriguing and rewarding pursuit, offering a valuable perspective on the histories and cultures of China and its unprecedented transformations over the past three decades. These institutions house an extraordinary wealth of historical, artistic, and cultural artefacts, providing deep insight into China’s long and complex past, as well as its multilayered interactions with the world today. From ancient bronzes and calligraphy to contemporary art and political exhibitions, museums in China serve as dynamic spaces where history is preserved, interpreted, and debated. They shape narratives, influence national and local identities, and even serve political functions. The way history and culture are presented—what is emphasized, omitted, or reframed—offers a revealing glimpse into China’s evolving relationship with its past and present.

At the same time, questions of accessibility and representation remain central. While major state-run museums, such as the National Museum of China, present grand, state-approved narratives, smaller independent museums sometimes offer alternative perspectives, occasionally challenging official histories. This raises critical discussions about who controls historical narratives and how they are curated. Beyond their role as cultural and historical institutions, Chinese museums are at the forefront of technological and curatorial innovation. Digital exhibitions, AI-driven curation, and new approaches to audience engagement are transforming how visitors experience history and culture. But what does this mean for museum studies as a field? Are existing theories and methodologies sufficient to analyze these developments, or do we need new frameworks to understand this evolving landscape?

Furthermore, museums play an increasingly significant role in China’s modern cultural and economic strategies. The country has invested heavily in building and modernizing these institutions, signalling both a commitment to preserving heritage, and an effort to enhance cultural tourism internally and China’s cultural influences externally. Yet, this also raises fundamental questions: Are museums primarily spaces for education, instruments of soft power, or engines of commercial gain? How do they compare to museums in other parts of the world? Ultimately, studying Chinese museums is not just about appreciating artefacts—it is about understanding the intersections of history, culture, politics and society. Museums are not just neutral spaces; they actively participate in shaping national identity and public memory.

Objectives

Given China’s rapid cultural, political, and technological transformations, this workshop aims to explore the current landscape of Chinese museum studies. It seeks to foster international collaboration by bringing together scholars, curators, policymakers, and practitioners from diverse perspectives. The event will serve as a unique forum for critical dialogue, interdisciplinary exchange, and the rethinking of future directions in Chinese museum studies. 

We aim to collect contributions to publish an edited volume with a leading publisher in the field in 2026/2027.

Scope 

We encourage interdisciplinary approaches and welcome submissions in English that engage with a broad range of research topics, projects, and case studies, from practitioners, policymakers, and scholars from different perspectives and disciplines, including but not limited to: Archaeology; Art and Art History; Anthropological and Ethnographic Studies; Sociological Perspectives; Political Science and International Relations; Economic and Business Approaches; Media and Communication Studies; Museum Studies and Curatorial Practices; Conservation and Heritage Management; Exhibition Design and Interpretation; Education and Pedagogical Approaches; Gender and Feminist Studies; Postcolonial and Decolonial Studies; Science and Technology Studies; and Philosophical and Ethical Considerations.

Key questions the workshop seeks to address include (but are not limited to):

  • How are museums in China shaping and reshaping historical narratives?
  • What role do digital technologies play in Chinese museums?
  • How do Chinese museums engage with international audiences and collaborate with global institutions?
  • What challenges do museums face in terms of funding, curation, and public engagement?
  • How do museums navigate issues of decolonization, repatriation, and contested heritage?
  • What role do museums play in fostering community engagement, especially among local and ethnic minority groups?
  • How do privately funded museums contribute to or challenge dominant narratives?
  • How do museums address environmental sustainability and heritage conservation?
  • What ethical concerns arise with AI, VR, and big data in museum curation?
  • How are gender, diversity, and marginal voices represented in Chinese museums?
  • What role do Chinese museums play in international cultural diplomacy and soft power?
  • How do Chinese exhibitions and collections abroad shape global perceptions of Chinese culture?
  • What are the dynamics of collaboration between Chinese and foreign museums and how do these influence museum practices globally?
  • New methods and approaches to museum studies 
  • Historical perspective on museum development in China 
  • Museum development in Greater China and among Chinese diasporas 

Dates: 13–14 November 2025
Format: Hybrid (Online & In-Person)

Hosting University: University of Siena (Department of Philology and Literary Criticism) – Arezzo Campus
Venue: Logge del Grano Hall, Piazzetta Logge del Grano 5, 52100 Arezzo, Italy

Presentation Format: Papers should not exceed 20 minutes, followed by a 5-minute discussion.

Submission Guidelines: Please send an abstract (250 words)along with a bio (max. 100 words, detailing affiliation, career stage and disciplinary background).

Important Dates: 

  • Submission Deadline: 31 May 2025
  • Notification of Acceptance: 31 July 2025
  • Program Draft: 30 September 2025

Fee: Attendance at the workshop is free. Participants attending the in-person session shall cover their own travel and accommodation.

Proposal Submission: Please send proposals in a single email to all organizers at the following addresses:

Ornella De Nigris: ornella.denigris@unisi.it|Cangbai Wang: C.Wang6@westminster.ac.uk |Sofia Bollo: sofia.bollo@uzh.ch

Open Session Call for Papers: Using Oral History to Document the Histories of Library Associations and Evolving Library Practice [IFLA]

Open Session Call for Papers: Using Oral History to Document the Histories of Library Associations and Evolving Library Practice

Library History Special Interest Group with IFLA Sections of Preservation and Conservation, Information Technology, Library and Research Services for Parliaments, Library Theory and Research, and the Kazakhstan Library Union

Session Theme: 

A Focus on Diverse Communities and Ethical Preservation in the Digital Age

Libraries and archives play a pivotal role in documenting the histories of library associations, yet challenges persist in preserving these narratives—particularly those of underrepresented communities and born-digital records. This call for papers invites contributions that explore the opportunities and challenges of using oral history to document the histories of library associations and their evolving practices, with a focus on diversity, collaboration, and preservation in the digital age.

Call for Papers: 

The IFLA Special Interest Group Library History, together with the IFLA Sections of Preservation and Conservation, Information Technology, Parliamentary Libraries, Library Theory and Research, (to be confirmed) and the Kazakhstan Library Union are seeking proposals for papers to be presented at a session to be held at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Astana, Kazakhstan, 18-22 August 2025. Papers should reflect the conference theme, “Uniting Knowledge, Building the Future”

Themes and Objectives

This call aims to advance discussions around oral history’s role in documenting library association histories, addressing critical questions such as (not limited to.):

  • How can oral history initiatives overcome the tension between subjective memory and historical accuracy?
  • What is the role of archivists as curators versus creators of records, particularly in oral history projects?
  • How can libraries and archives ensure the preservation and accessibility of born-digital records?

Contributions are encouraged to address the following themes:

                1.            Oral history and archival theory

  • How has oral history challenged and informed archival theory and practice over the past fifty years?
  • What ethical, human-centered approaches can libraries adopt to integrate oral histories into their collections?
  • Reconfiguration of the role of librarians and archivists in the development of oral historiography: from ‘custodians of knowledge’ to ‘creators of knowledge’

                2.            Diversity and sustainability in oral history projects

  • Case studies highlighting oral history projects that document diverse and underrepresented voices.
  • Examples of library and archival initiatives that connect with communities to preserve cultural and professional heritage.
  • Models that ensure the sustainability of projects and programs that seek to document the history of the field.

                3.            Preserving born-digital content

  • Challenges and best practices for managing born-digital records in the context of library association histories.
  • Strategies for ensuring long-term access, curation, and stewardship of digital content.

                4.            Global perspectives on library association histories

  • Insights from international organizations on the preservation of library professional association histories, as discussed at IFLA and other forums.
  • Collaborative efforts across continents to document and share the histories of library and information science associations.
  • Comparative regional studies: comparing differences in the development of library associations in Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America, etc.

                5.            Innovative approaches and future directions

  • Exploring new methodologies for recording, preserving, curating and disseminating oral histories.
  • The potential for interdisciplinary collaborations to address the evolving needs of the field.
  • Exploring the indicators and methods for assessing the quality of oral history work
  • Exploring the use of AI and machine learning in the preservation and analysis of oral histories.
  • Discussing the role of digital tools in improving the accessibility and usability of oral history archives.

Why Participate?

This is a unique opportunity to contribute to a global dialogue on documenting library association histories, addressing pressing issues in the preservation of oral and born-digital histories, and shaping future practices in the profession.

Submission Guidelines

Proposals should include a title, abstract (max. 300 words), and a brief biography of the author(s). Please submit your proposals to [insert contact email] by [insert deadline].

90 Minutes


Important dates & deadlines:

  • 30 April, 2025– Deadline for submission of proposal abstract
  • 13 May, 2025 – Notification of acceptance
  • 20 July, 2025 – Submission of Full-Text of Paper
  • 20 July, 2025 – Deadline for submission of presentation slides

Submission guidelines

We invite submissions of research papers, case studies, and reflective essays that align with the themes above. Join us in advancing the historical and cultural preservation of our profession, ensuring that diverse voices and digital records are not only documented but celebrated for generations to come.

Proposals should include:

  • Title of proposed presentation
  • Abstract of proposed paper (no more than 300 words)
  • Name of presenter plus position and/or title
  • Employer / affiliated institution
  • Contact information including email address, telephone number
  • Short biographical statement of presenter

Send proposals via email to: IFLA LIBHIST SIG <iflalibhistsig@gmail.com>

Use subject line: WLIC 2025 LIBHIS-SIG

Please note:

  • At least one of the paper’s authors must be present to summarize the paper during the program in Astana. Abstracts are to be submitted only with the understanding that the expenses of attending the conference will be the responsibility of the author(s)/presenter(s) of accepted papers.
  • The language of the session is expected to be English.
  • All papers presented at the WLIC 2025 will be available online under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
  • All papers must be unpublished and not previously presented.
  • Authors must disclose whether they submit this proposal to another WLIC 2025 session.
  • Authors of accepted papers must complete the IFLA Authors’ Permission Form.
  • All expenses, including registration for the conference, travel, accommodations, etc., are the responsibility of the authors/presenters. IFLA does not provide any financial support.

CFP: One-day symposium : “Map exhibitions 19th-20th centuries”

France

ANNUAL ONE-DAY SYMPOSIUM OF THE HISTORY COMMISSION OF THE FRENCH CARTOGRAPHY COMMITTEE

Friday 14th November 2025

INHA (Paris) – Salle Vasari

The History Commission of the CFC is organising a study day on ‘Cartographic exhibitions’ on 14 November 2025 at the Institut national d’histoire de l’Art (INHA) in Paris.

This one-day symposium is a continuation of the previous meetings on ‘Art and Cartography’ (2023) and ‘Cartography and Cinema’ (2024), in which cartography and its history were examined from the angle of their presence in modern and contemporary visual cultures. The aim of this new day is to consider the various aspects of the encounter between cartography and the general public.

Maps have long been exhibited, more or less permanently, in the galleries of major palaces and public buildings. Think, for example, of the Vatican Map Gallery or the world map room in the Farnese Palace in Caprarola. But it is not to these perennial cartographic settings, which are already well known, that this Study Day aims to focus its analysis, but rather on temporary installations.

Since the nineteenth century, cartography has been the focus of a great many temporary exhibitions, both specialist and more general. Like works of art or scientific objects, maps, globes, models, relief maps and observation instruments were considered worthy of public interest. Take, for example, the enthusiastic response to the exhibition entitled ‘Cartes et figures de la Terre’ [Maps and Figures of the Earth], presented at the Centre Pompidou in 1980. Exhibitions devoted to the history of cartography, or certain aspects of it, are regularly held at scientific gatherings (geography congresses or learned societies), at international fairs and, of course, in libraries, museums and archive centres.

We need to look at these cartographic exhibitions from a number of angles: 

– What were the projects, motivations and objectives of the designers of these exhibitions?

– What were the scientific, artistic and political contexts in which these exhibitions were organised?

– What cartographic documents were chosen? According to what criteria? What were their aims?

– What was the chosen scenography? How have these choices evolved over the years? Are there any links, or even analogies, with the history of art exhibitions?

– How many people attended the exhibition? What type of audience, if any? How did the press react to the exhibitions?

Contributions may address all or only some of these questions.

Practical details

Proposals for papers (approximately 1500 characters), accompanied by a short bio-bibliography, should be sent before 10 May 2025 to the following address: catherine.hofmann@bnf.fr.

The selection committee will meet in mid-June and will announce the results of the call for papers in early July.

The papers selected will be published in an issue of the journal of the French Cartography Committee, Cartes & Géomatique, in 2026.

Contact Information

Catherine Hofmann, map curator at the Bibliothèque nationale de France (Paris)

Jean-Marc Besse, head researcher at CNRS and EHESS

Contact Email

catherine.hofmann@bnf.fr

URL

https://cartogallica.hypotheses.org/

CFP: ARTEFACTS 30: Care and Repair

CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR ARTEFACTS 30, CARE AND REPAIR

With pleasure, Norsk Teknisk Museum (the Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology) announces that the next and 30th meeting of ARTEFACTS will be held in Oslo, Norway, 12–14 October 2025.

ARTEFACTS is an international network of academic and museum-based scholars of science, technology, and medicine, who share the goal of promoting the use of objects in research. The consortium was established in 1996 and since then has held annual conferences examining the role of artefacts and collections in the making of science and technology and related areas. See https://www.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/our-work/research-public-history/artefacts-consortium.

The theme of the 2025 meeting is CARE AND REPAIR, and we encourage proposals (see formats below) concerning how erosion, breakdown, and maintenance, instead of progress and innovation, can be starting points for research. What are the limits of our fragile world, and what work does caring do? We characterize ‘care and repair’ broadly, encompassing objects, people, and environments, but all proposals should have a focus on the material culture of science, technology, and/or medicine.

In keeping with the theme, we especially encourage proposals from museum conservators, as well as those who care for museum communities. These could potentially be joint submissions with other museum practitioners and scholars. ARTEFACTS conferences are friendly and informal meetings with the character of workshops. There is plenty of time for open discussion and networking.

Examples might include, but are not limited to:

  • Conservation and restoration of technoscientific heritage; “stubborn” objects, those which require persistent care and repair; challenges while taking care of technoscientific collections… 
  • Working with communities on technoscientific heritage; forgotten stories of care and repair; amateurs and enthusiasts, the maker movement, and do-it-yourself (DIY) culture…
  • The sustainability of technoscientific heritage; practices of repair leading towards more sustainability; making things last; waste and reuse; the afterlives of technoscientific heritage…
  • Historical perspectives on technology and repair; the shaping of technology through practices of repair; how repair practices have changed over time; lost expertise / knowledge / skills; the lifespans and persistence of technology; technology’s manifold temporalities…
  • Care and the medical humanities; care versus repair, with regard to hierarchies of expertise in healthcare; caregiving and the difficulties of providing and receiving care; ethical dimensions of care and maintenance; how caregiving has changed over time…

Please remember that the focus of presentations should be on artefacts.

This time, ARTEFACTS is experimenting with two tracks for submissions: (1) works to be considered for publication (a pre-circulated paper and a longer presentation based on the paper) and (2) works-in-progress (shorter presentations without a paper). Abstracts for track 1 should be 500-1000 words; abstracts for track 2 should be 200-300 words. They should be accompanied by a 75-word author biography and sent to artefacts@tekniskmuseum.no by 15 May 2025. We aim to notify accepted participants by 5 June 2025.

Registration will open formally when the program is announced in June, but in the meantime informal queries should be directed to artefacts@tekniskmuseum.no.

CFP: Australian Society of Archivist Conference

The Call for Papers is now open and will close on:

  • AEST: 9:00 am on Monday 28 April 2025
  • AWST: 7:00 am on Monday 28 April 2025
  • ACDT: 8:30 am on Monday 28 April 2025
  • NZDT: 11:00 am on Monday 28 April 2025

How to Submit

  1. Read the information below regarding the theme and proposal types.
  2. Click on the Submit Your Proposal button below to create an account and follow the instructions to submit your abstract. Abstracts should be no longer than 300 words.
  3. If you have any technical issues accessing the portal or submitting your proposal, please contact us.
  4. If you have questions about the theme or your proposal in general, please contact the Program Chair.

SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL

Theme

The purpose of archives is often explained as being for the benefit of societal memory. As the International Council on Archives’ Universal Declaration on Archives states; they are authoritative sources of information which play an essential role in the development of societies by safeguarding and contributing to individual and community memory and that open access to archives enriches our knowledge of human society, promotes democracy, protects citizens’ rights, and enhances the quality of life.

What has been the societal impact of archives and archival practice over the past 50 years? How is this changing over time? How should it be changing?

The conference aims to bring together a wide range of perspectives and stories on our profession and practice by showcasing what archives mean to communities, institutions and individuals. It is also a space to explore where we have been, are, and want to develop as a sector.

Call for Papers

The Australian Society of Archivists is excited to invite your proposals for contributions to our upcoming conference “Telling Our Stories: Community, Connection, Resilience”, to be held 10-12 November 2025 in Warrane/Warrang/Sydney.

We invite you to share your experiences, reflections and research by ‘telling our stories’ from and about the archives by submitting a brief proposal of no more than 300 words.

Topics could include, but are not limited to:

  • Archival history
  • Community and school archives
  • Impact of technology on archives
  • Digital accessibility
  • Access to and repatriation of displaced archives
  • Privacy and ethical considerations
  • Cultural considerations
  • Audiences: who is missing?
  • Social responsibility
  • Reparative description, Indigenous self-determination
  • Teaching with archives
  • Community outreach and access
  • Archival education
  • Using technology to improve engagement
  • Impact of digital transformation on archival concepts
  • Artificial intelligence and machine learning
  • Big data

We encourage submissions from all who engage with archives: students, new professionals, experienced archivists and recordkeepers, information professionals, academics, researchers, artists, and community members.

Conference Audience

Your audience will mainly be archivists, records and information professionals from small, medium and large organisations in government, private and community sector organisations. It will also include students, academics, educators and researchers.

The conference will be face to face, however it should be noted that sessions will be recorded for on-demand viewing. This should be considered when developing your abstract and any subsequent presentations.

Proposal Types

All presentations will be presented on location and in-person:

  • Posters
    • presentation of research, project, idea, or other type of work in a paper poster
    • presenters will be required to present during the poster session in order to answer questions and further explain their poster
    • we specifically invite students to use this category
    • posters will need to be printed
  • Project show and tells (10 minutes)
    • strictly limited to 10 minutes per talk (all speakers combined), including questions
    • short, less formal presentations to share information about in-progress or completed projects
    • provide opportunities to share project status and potentially engage and network with other delegates interested with relevant expertise
    • speakers may use slides to enhance their talk
  • Lightning talks (10 minutes)
    • strictly limited to 10 minutes per talk (all speakers combined), including questions
    • short, less formal presentations to share information about ideas and research and connect with other delegates
    • speakers may use slides to enhance their talk
  • Individual papers (30 minutes)
    • comprise one or more speakers presenting on a topic for a maximum of 30 minutes
    • presentations should last 20 minutes to allow at least 5 minutes for questions
    • papers will be grouped to form 90 minute sessions around a common theme
  • Interactive presentations (30-60 minutes)
    • comprise one or more speakers
    • an interactive presentation designed to engage the audience in active discussion
  • Panels (90 minutes)
    • comprise 3 to 5 speakers who together present on a topic for 90 minutes
    • panels have options in how they use the time available, potentially giving each panellist a set time to speak and allowing time for questions during or at the end of the panel session
    • panellists may use slides to illustrate or enhance their contribution to the panel
  • Workshops half-day or full day, to be held on day before or after the conference
    • hands-on sessions designed to involve participants in practical activities
    • limited capacity per workshop (please note maximum capacity requirements in the submission).

CFP: Materiality and Precarity: Preserving Holocaust Memorial Sites 

United Kingdom

Call for Papers: Materiality and Precarity: Preserving Holocaust Memorial Sites 

We are delighted to announce a upcoming postgraduate conference at the University of Cambridge, in partnership with DAAD Cambridge, for graduate and early career researchers to share emerging research on challenges to preserving Holocaust sites. 

The conference will take place in Cambridge on June 25-26, 2025; paper proposals are due on March 31, 2025.

We welcome proposals on topics included – but not limited to – the following:

  • Evolving interpretations of ‘Authenticity’
  • Climate Change and Memorial Sites; impact, planning, prevention
  • Memorialisation
  • Holocaust tourism
  • Sources of “wear and tear” to physical objects, buildings, and landscapes at Holocaust sites
  • Representing place in cultural and popular media
  • The role of ‘virtual space’ and digital media
  • Political controversies about management of memorial sites
  • Contemporary comparisons between climate change and Nazi genocide 
  • Contemporary and historical conflicts over space at sites (national, religious)

Applicants are invited to submit a paper title, short bio (150 words) and abstract (300 words) to Beatrice Leeming (University of Cambridge) rl699@cam.ac.uk and Jonathan Marrow (University of Cambridge) jm2521@cam.ac.uk
Applications close on 31 March, 2025. There will be funding to support travel costs and accommodation.

Contact Information

 Jonathan Marrow (University of Cambridge) jm2521@cam.ac.uk and Beatrice Leeming (University of Cambridge) rl699@cam.ac.uk 

Contact Email

jm2521@cam.ac.uk

CFP: Histories of Disabilities and Living Spaces from Ancient to Modern Worlds

Histories of Disabilities and Living Spaces from Ancient to Modern Worlds

Royal Holloway’s Bodies and Material Culture Research Group invites papers for a one-day workshop in Central London on histories of disabilities and living spaces from the ancient to the modern world. The relationship between historical actors with physical and mental disabilities and the places they live is complex, with embodied experiences and the material world offering scope for both agency and frustration. Drawing on the recent expansion in histories of disabilities across ancient, medieval, early modern and modern studies, this workshop applies this new critical approach to the study of past living spaces. The workshop will focus on how people with physical impairments, mental illness, chronic illness, degenerative, and age-related conditions (including any intersection of the above) interacted with historic domestic environments. The workshop will use comparative histories – from the ancient past to the contemporary present – to look at similarities and differences across time and space. We will explore new methodologies for interpreting embodied experiences, drawing on ideas of co-production and participatory research. We aim to further shared understandings of lived experiences, and to explore how these might be represented in public histories and heritage.

Keynote Speakers: Kyle Jordan (Independent Curator and Researcher) and India Whiteley (QMUL)

Papers might address, but are not limited to, the experience of people with disabilities, chronic or mental illness, degenerative, and/or age-related conditions (including any intersection of the above) in relation to the following themes:

  • The planning, design, building and adaptation of living spaces
  • Embodiment and the interaction of bodies with domestic material culture
  • Development of historic assistive technologies and therapies 
  • Household structures and hierarchies e.g. Roman households and their extended family members, early modern apprentice households, nuclear families including: development of support networks; exploitation and/or abuse
  • Changing patterns of individual, family and collective residence e.g. monasteries or schools
  • Identification with domestic space and home as an emotional construct 
  • New approaches to interpreting historic embodied experiences e.g. participatory research or co-production 
  • Methods and source materials that reveal living spaces including archaeological, textual, legislative, visual and material 
  • Strategies for representing historical actors in domestic heritage 

The workshop will take place on Tuesday June 24th 2025 at Senate House, University of London. Please send proposals (300 word abstract and 100 word biography) to Jane Hamlett jane.hamlett@rhul.ac.uk and Hannah Platts Hannah.platts@rhul.ac.uk by March 31st. We welcome proposals from those at all career stages of academia, independent scholars, heritage and museum professionals. Papers can be presented in person or online.

Contact Information

Jane Hamlett

Contact Email

jane.hamlett@rhul.ac.uk

URL

https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/research-and-education/research/research-enviro…

CFP: “Stitched Together: Needlework Making and Research”

United Kingdom

Stitched Together: Needlework Making and Research
21st-22nd August 2025
Royal School of Needlework, Hampton Court Palace

CALL FOR PAPERS

Keynote speakers: Dr Lynn Hulse, Raisa Kabir, Rose Sinclair MBE, Hannah Sutherland ACR

The Royal School of Needlework and Pasold Research Fund invite papers for the Royal School of Needlework’s first conference on historical needlework, ‘Stitched Together: Needlework Making and Research’. This conference will imagine needlework in its broadest sense, classified as all art and craft involving a needle, hook, or shuttle. This includes embroidery, plain sewing, lace making, knitting, crocheting, and weaving.

Needlework is universal, made around the world in countless ways for nearly all of human history. Through needles, hooks, and shuttles, we see economic, social, political, religious, and cultural changes. Needlework demonstrates who had access to what materials, how designs and stitches travelled the world via the Silk Road and across oceans, how the rise and fall of empires affected design and resources, how technology influenced changing aesthetics and craft practices, and how people have spent their time in business and leisure. 

Though needlework has long been the subject of academic, socioeconomic, and object-centric study, there have been very few opportunities for those who create needlework and those who research needlework to collaborate and learn from one another. It is the hope that this conference will bridge the gap between visual and historiographical analysis and knowledge of the historical, socioeconomic, and literary contexts of needlework with embodied knowledge of materials, techniques, and artistic choices. 

This conference is a meeting place for anyone working on topics related to historical embroidery to present their work and research. This includes work happening in academia, museums and heritage institutions, art studios, classrooms, and independent research environments. We encourage proposals from established and emerging scholars, makers, curators, conservators, and anyone whose work is relevant to discussions about historical needlework in any capacity.  

We invite proposals for 15-minute presentations. These can take any format, such as academic papers, conversations between makers and researchers, or demonstrations. We are especially interested in presentations that explore the potential of collaboration between those who use historical needlework in different ways. Topics may include but are not limited to: 

  • New discoveries in the field of historical needlework 
  • The relationship between making and research
  • Conservation of historical needlework
  • Curating historical needlework
  • Marginalised needleworkers (race, gender, class, region, technique) 
  • Historic needlework networks, especially global ones 
  • Studying historical needlework through making 
  • Potential for collaboration between various stakeholders in the world of historical embroidery

Proposal deadline: Monday, 14th April 2025

Please send a paper title, abstract (maximum 250 words), and bio (maximum 50 words) to collection@royal-needlework.org.uk. Decisions will be made by mid-May.

The conference will allow for virtual attendance via Zoom webinar but only in-person presentations will be considered.

Contact Email

collection@royal-needlework.org.uk

URL: https://royal-needlework.org.uk/stitched-together-conference-call-for-papers/

CFP: Conference “Out of Scale: From ‘Miniature’ Material Cultures to the Anthropic Principle”

Conference: Out of Scale: From “Miniature” Material Cultures to the Anthropic Principle
London, June 16-18, 2025
 

Conveners: Wenjie Su (Princeton University; CASVA), Yizhou Wang (Hong Kong Baptist University), Stephen Whiteman (The Courtauld Institute of Art)

Dates and Venue: June 16-17, 2025 (conference at The Courtauld Institute of Art, London)
                                June 18, 2025 (optional viewing sessions in or around London)

Keynote speakers: Andrew James Hamilton (The Art Institute of Chicago), Wei-Cheng Lin (The University of Chicago)

Call for Paper: 
Scale—the relative dimension, magnitude, or scope of objects, and their proportional relationship to the observer—is often understood through the lens of individual or collective visual assumptions. As inhabitants of the terrestrial sphere, we tend to rely on our bodies and cultural paradigms to interpret the scale of geographical terrain, human-made structures, material artifacts, social phenomena, and historical events. Technological advancements—from maritime expeditions to space exploration, from telescopic and microscopic investigations to the detection of cosmic microwave background—have urged humanity to redefine its scale of existence. Meanwhile, various philosophical and religious traditions have long pondered humanity’s place and purpose in relation to natural and supernatural realms.

By exploring designs and creations conceived on a micro-scale or as small-sized, this conference invites discussion on human creativity and human existence through the theme of scale. Examples abound across diverse human traditions, including burial and ritual objects, microarchitecture, portrait miniatures, and accessorial items such as netsukes, snuff boxes, and pocket watches. These objects appear diminutive when compared to the human body, the “worlds” they represent, or their counterparts within more dominant socio-cultural systems. At times dismissed as frivolous and superficial, these streamlined and recontextualized objects can evoke out-of-scale resonances, transcending the original limitations of data or resources.

This conference connects studies that examine the art historical, historiographical, and ideological significance of scaled objects. First, we aim to deepen discussions on the sensorial, spiritual, intellectual, and technical implications of scaling. Particularly understudied are ephemeral objects and repositioned sites, such as lab settings and festival stagings. Second, we seek to investigate how the scale—of originals, reproductions, or paradigms—has shaped the central or peripheral status of specific objects and sites in art historical scholarship.

Third, we aim to highlight the unique contributions that humanities and art historical scholars can make in addressing cutting-edge intellectual challenges in fields including AI and space exploration. Throughout the global history of visual and material cultures, creatively re-scaled objects have played a central role in conceiving and simulating worlds that surpass our optical and epistemological thresholds. By exploring how humans have continually shifted scales to position themselves within and across realms, this conference reflects on humanity’s inherently limited yet endlessly creative perspective and envisions pathways to launch beyond boundaries.  

Further questions and topics include but are not limited to: 
– Material, aesthetic, sensory and affective qualities unique to small-scale objects.
– Practices of modeling and scaling in the production of scientific knowledge, such as mapping and laboratory experiments.
– The dialectics of miniature and monumentality.
– Relationships between scale, virtuality, and reality.
– Critical reflections on the interpretational framework of “miniaturization”, such as the so-called miniature paintings of various Asian and Islamic traditions.
– Challenges posed by small-scale objects or fragments in archaeological, museum, and pedagogical contexts.
– The role of scale-shifting in methodological turns, such as global history, gender criticism, and eco-criticism.

We invite proposals from scholars in a range of disciplines, including art and architecture history, museum studies, cultural history, intellectual history, and the history of science, and on any geographic region and any period of time.

Please send an abstract (ca. 250 words) for a 20-min presentation and a 150-word bio as a single PDF file by March 15, 2025 to conference convenors: w-su@nga.gov ; yizhouwang@hkbu.edu.hk ; stephen.whiteman@courtauld.ac.uk 

Acceptance notification: March 30, 2025

Event details:
The symposium will be held June 16-17, 2025 at the Courtauld Institute of Art, London. Optional group viewing sessions will be arranged on June 18. Accepted speakers will be invited to propose objects from London-based collections or sites that resonate with the themes of scale and the miniature.

Contact Email

yizhouwang@hkbu.edu.hk

CFP for [online] Session at Royal Geographical Society Conference: Aging and the ‘crafts of place’: creative engagements in practice and method

The Royal Geographical Society-Institute of British Geographers conference will be held in Birmingham, UK, from August 27-29, 2025 on the theme of Creative Geographies/Geographies of Creativity. 

For those working on social and cultural geography with an interest in aging, intergenerational learning, and place, please consider submitting a proposal to this online session – accepted papers will be notified by February 28, and the session will be submitted to the RGS-IBG team for consideration by March 7.

Aging and the ‘crafts of place’: creative engagements in practice and method 

In a 1981 lecture, Clifford Geertz used the term “crafts of place” to describe practices and systems that “work by the light of local knowledge” (1981, 167). This evocative terminology highlights the relationship between knowing, doing, and place – a nexus for interdisciplinary consideration of land-based knowledge, place-making, and place-based cultural production. Indigenous ways of knowing have long emphasized the role of land as pedagogy (Betasamosake Simpson 2014), while attention to sustainability has given new impetus to studies of place-based and vernacular skills, products, and practices (Paneels 2023; Watson 2019). Placemaking, too, might be conceptualized as a ‘craft of place,’ with recent scholarship beginning to outline the role of creativity in placemaking (Courage and McKeown 2019; Courage 2020) and underscoring the relationship between regional ecologies, cultural landscapes and cultural heritage practices (Gillett 2022; Luckman and Thomas 2024). Given that these frameworks highlight the importance of spending time with a place and the validity of embodied and relational ways of learning and knowing, how do they intersect with the real or imagined effects of time on human bodies and communities – with aging? How does engagement with the ‘crafts of place’ evolve throughout the life course? What is the role of intergenerational relationships in sustaining local knowledge and place-based practices? Might the elements of time and aging challenge or broaden the notions of local knowledge or crafts of place? Might thinking of aging in relation to these themes provide a lens through which to consider it as a socially, culturally and spatially-delineated process? How might research itself become a ‘craft of place’ that engages creatively with practices, places and (aging) demographics whose ways of knowing have been historically marginalized by institutions?

This single-session online panel invites speakers to submit abstracts for 10-15 minute presentations that engage with themes of aging and ‘the crafts of place,’ broadly interpreted, with particular consideration given to those that use case studies to highlight creative and innovative practices and methods. Speakers are invited to share ideas for how best to facilitate conversation around their presentation topics and will be able to upload additional material as well as questions for the audience ahead of the session. It is anticipated that the session will include an opportunity for discussion in themed breakout rooms. 

Research Group Sponsorship: Social and Cultural Geography Research Group Sponsorship application submitted, not yet confirmed

Convenor and Affiliation: Dr. Molly-Claire Gillett, Postdoctoral Fellow, Trent Centre for Aging and Society, Trent University (Canada) & School of Geography, Archaeology and Irish Studies, University of Galway (Ireland)

Guidelines for prospective authors: please upload an abstract of ~250 words along with a short bio of ~50 words to this form: https://forms.office.com/r/iiNZwUcdaW by February 21, 2025.

Questions can be directed to Molly-Claire Gillett (mollyclairegillett@trentu.ca) Selected authors will be notified by February 28, with the complete panel proposal sent to RGS for consideration by March 7.

References:

Betasamosake Simpson, Leanne. 2014. “Land as pedagogy: Nishnaabeg intelligence and rebellious     transformation.” Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society 3 no. 3: 1-25.            https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/des/article/view/22170/17985 

Courage, Cara. 2020. The art of placemaking: a typology of art practices in placemaking. London:     Routledge.

Courage, Cara and Anita McKeown. 2019. Creative Placemaking: Research, Theory, and Practice. London:  Routledge.

Cutchin, Malcolm and Graham D. Rowles, eds. 2024. Handbook on Aging and Place. Cheltenham and   Northampton: Edgar. 

Geertz, Clifford. 2000. Local Knowledge: Further Essays In Interpretive Anthropology. E-book. New York:   Basic Books.

Gillett, Molly-Claire. 2022. “‘Storying’ Landscape and Material Practice: Clones Crochet Lacemaking            as Irish Intangible Cultural Heritage.” New Hibernia Review 26, no. 4: 36-   64. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/nhr.2022.0045.

Luckman, Susan and Nicola Thomas. 2024. Craft Communities. London: Bloomsbury Visual Arts.

Panneels, Inge. 2023. “The Quintuple Bottom Line: A Framework for Place-Based Sustainable          Enterprise in the Craft Industry.” Sustainability 15, no. 4: 3791.     https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043791

Skinner, Mark, Rachel Winterton and Keiran Walsh eds. 2021. Rural Gerontology: Towards Critical       Perspectives on Rural Ageing. London and New York: Routledge.

Watson, Julia. 2019. Lo—TEK. Design by Radical Indigenism. London: Taschen.

Contact Information

Molly-Claire Gillett
Postdoctoral Fellow, Trent University and University of Galway

Contact Email

mollyclairegillett@trentu.ca