CfP: A Research-creation episteme? Practices, interventions, dissensus
Dissensus is not a confrontation between interests or opinions. It is the manifestation of a gap in the sensible itself (Jacques Rancière)
Symposium (hybrid) | Trent University | Peterborough ON, Canada | October 30, 2023. In collaboration with:
Materialities Research Group, Canadian Comparative Literature Association (CCLA) Cultural Studies
Cultural Studies Graduate Programs, Trent University
Public Texts Graduate Program, Trent University
Imaginations: Journal of Cross-Cultural Image Studies
Guest: Prof. Laura Marks (Simon Fraser University)
Scholars in the humanities have been increasingly examining the correlation between creative practices and knowledge production, as well as exploring the boundaries of a creative research orientation. As universities adapt their categorization systems to meet new demands for knowledge transfer and dissemination, traditional barriers protecting visual artistic practices have given way to multi-modal forms of expression.
These encompass a range of mediums, such as archival projects, creative writing, communications, documentary film, film essays, mapping and locative projects, sound art, theatre and performance, transmedial storytelling, among others.
The epistemic shift involved in reconceptualizing these outputs as novel practices that complement or challenge traditional pathways of knowledge production is still largely unexplored, despite initial recognition from research granting agencies, faculty hiring committees, and other institutional bodies.
Our daylong (hybrid) symposium at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, will delve into these issues by addressing the following questions:
- What distinguishes creative from non-creative practices?
- How have artists approached the transfer of their practice into a knowledge-producing milieu?
- Where are the forums for presenting research-creative projects, and who are the intended audiences?
- How does academic research-creation respond to the demand for community involvement and accountability? What institutional safeguards exist?
- How has the concept of artistic value shifted to meet market demands within the university (distinct from those of the cultural industries)?
- How do creative works navigate the established benchmarks for securing research funding? How have funding agencies responded to these shifts, and are they sustainable?
- What are the implications of developing work under different linguistic, national, regional, or global conceptual frameworks (e.g., "practice-based" vs. "practice-led")?
- What does research-creation entail for undergraduate teaching, graduate supervision, and mentorship?
- How does a research-creative knowledge form align with evaluation criteria for hiring, reappointment, tenure, and promotion?
- How do creative outputs contribute to equity and access?
- To what extent does research-creation, modeled as an intervention, participate in ongoing efforts to decolonize universities?
- What insights does research-creation offer traditionally recognized researchers about their own practices?
- What fears do such researchers harbor when encountering research-creative projects?
- How does the diversification of knowledge and methods contribute to historical debates on the subject, and who benefits from these contributions?
While many of these questions have been posed before, achieving consensus has proven elusive and perhaps even undesirable. The evolving social contract on research-creation may yield outcomes that are less desirable than the current state of affairs. Therefore, we strive to foster a community of scholars bound by solidarity rather than unanimity, embracing dissent as we seek to formulate better questions rather than demanding definitive answers.
We invite scholars, including faculty and graduate students, artists, practitioners, creatives, and collaborators, to present short (~5-minute) "manifestos" exploring at least one aspect of the emerging episteme. These presentations will be featured in a daylong event at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, as well as remotely via Zoom.
After the event, selected presentations will be considered for publication in a special issue of Imaginations: Journal of Cross-Cultural Image Studies.
Submission guidelines (deadline: August 15, 2023):
Presenters must submit a 150-word abstract focusing on the topic at hand, whether from a theoretical, institutional, art-historical, or practical perspective. The presentations should adopt the style of a missive or manifesto. Additionally, presenters must include a 50-word bio. The symposium will be conducted in English and French.
Contact Information:
To submit a 150-word abstract and a 50-word bio, please email ccla.aclc@trentu.ca by August 15, 2023 (globally).
Organizers:
Agata Mergler, York University
Joshua Synenko, Trent University