Call for Papers: Patterns of Struggle and Solidarity 

Nottingham Trent University’s Postcolonial Studies Centre is pleased to announce that it will hold an online conference on the theme ‘Patterns of Struggle and Solidarity’ in June 2021. This event is part of the Postcolonial Studies Centre’s Formations series organised with Bonington Gallery.  The conference aims to explore the practice and study of cultural activism from any discipline across postcolonial studies. Individual paper and panel proposals are invited from scholars, postgraduate researchers, activists and cultural practitioners. Cross and interdisciplinary proposals are especially welcome. 

The engagement with cultural activism has long been a prominent concern in postcolonial studies; in our current moment, this focus is rife for exploration and, crucially, interrogation. How do academics fit into the field of cultural activism? How do academics and activists conceptualise patterns of struggle and solidarity? What role does postcolonial research play in supporting and amplifying the voices and work of cultural activists, in particular in the fields of literature, art, film, craft and performance art? How do cultural activists and performers engage with postcolonial studies? Paper and panel proposals that follow innovative formats and involve conversations between researchers, cultural activists and practitioners are particularly welcome. 

We accept individual proposals for 15-minute presentations or panel proposals for one hour. We are planning a mix of pre-recorded and live papers, panels, Q&As and creative responses to be broadcast live via Bonington Gallery’s YouTube channel; other platforms may be utilised which is open for discussion. We also invite cultural and social justice organisations to propose workshops and events that can be held online.

Please outline your proposals in 300 to 400–word abstracts and submit them to PSC@ntu.ac.uk by Friday 26 March 2021. 

Organised by NTU PSC and convened by Dr Nicole Thiara, Dr Amy Rushton, Dr Jenni Ramone, Thomas Lockwood-Moran and Purnachandra Naik. 

Event

This event is open to the general public and admission is free. Please outline your proposals in 300 to 400-word abstracts and submit them to PSC@ntu.ac.uk by Friday 26 March 2021.