Canterbury Arts Conference 2019

The 6th annual Canterbury Arts Conference (CArtsCon) welcomes proposals for papers and presentations from anyone interested in the arts including artists in all disciplines and media, academics, historians, curators, students, researchers, policy makers, and professionals in arts-related fields. Participants come from around the world.

The theme for 2019 is “Changing the Narrative”. All art tells a story—from the earliest cave paintings to Mozart’s operas to Hitchcock’s films to JK Rowling’s books to photographs of your children. Art can be an expression of someone’s mind or feelings, or it can relate events that happen, or it can create imaginary worlds for a viewer to inhabit. Even the most abstract tells a story, and all of the stories art tells take on different meanings for different people – from the creator to the audience to third party consumers.

We have seen how movements like #MeToo have changed Hollywood, the films it makes and the people who make them. We have seen how people can change their environment through the choices they make, or by allowing others to make choices for them.

2019’s CArtsCon theme challenges you to change the narrative. Change the story. Change the storyteller. Change the protagonists. Change the medium. Does an artist make art, or does art make an artist? Can you create multiple stories for your audience? Or can the audience create art with you with their stories? To that end also, we invite people who work with communities to come forward and share how the arts have changed their communities.

Call for Participation

We are looking for the following. Applications are open until 1 March 2019.

• Academic paper presentations
• Topical speakers, workshop leaders and/or sharing session facilitators
• 5 participants for an industry panel looking at ‘Using the Arts to Change Society’
• Submissions of short films (max. 8 minutes) For presentations, speakers have up to 45 minutes with 15 minutes for questions. Abstract and other information can be found on the CArtsCon website.

Alternatively, please contact Julian Ng FRSA: info@cartscon.com.