We are pleased to announce that Registration is now open for the Creative Futures and Radical Futures 2021 Symposium: Collaborative research in arts and science, 5 and 7 July 2021.

For PROGRAMME, SPEAKERS, and REGISTRATION please click HERE.

A two-day Symposium that connects creative practitioners, scientists and researchers working across the arts, science, society and technology.
What is the role of the arts and technology in times of complex social  problems?
What does art have to offer to science?
How can collaborations between very different disciplines work?
Where do I start if I wish to work collaboratively?

KEYNOTES

• Boredomresearch – Vicky Isley and Paul Smith
• Brighton Centre for Contemporary Arts – Ben Roberts
• Anna Dumitriu – bioartist

Participants will have an opportunity to attend hands-on workshops, show-and-tell and paper presentations, and keynotes on the 5 and 7 of July 2021. Online.

Creative Futures and Radical Futures Symposium

Where: Online
When: 5 – 7 July 2021
Deadline: 23 May

In Search of Chemozoa by boredomresearch, 2020

In 2021 the focus of Creative Futures is to enhance collaborative research in arts and science, by developing initial hubs of activity in various research areas, such as engineering, medicine, biology, maths, computing, chemistry, and environmental sciences. Aiming to nurture applied collaborations and new fields of practice and theory within the University of Brighton, Creative Futures encourages new interdisciplinary research that uses an arts/science interface. Working with the University’s principles for practical wisdom, Creative Futures focuses on collaborative projects that tackle social and environmental issues.This Symposium aims to establish a dynamic cluster of networks between creative practitioners, scientists and researchers working within institutional, regional, national and international contexts. Bringing together the agendas of Creative and Radical Futures, we invite work in the areas of arts, science and society.

We will host talks from staff and external speakers asking:
·      What is the role of the arts and technology in times of complex social  problems?
·      What does art have to offer to science?
·      How can collaborations between very different disciplines work?
·      Where do I start if I wish to work collaboratively?

We will showcase projects funded by Creative Futures Arts/Science fund and the Radical Futures Science in a Changing society fund. We hope to offer funding for further projects that advance this agenda.

Invited speakers
–       Boredomresearch – Vicky Isley and Paul Smith
–       Brighton Centre for Contemporary Arts – Ben Roberts

We invite you to show and tell about your ideas; work in progress; experiences, including but not limited to:
– Scientific innovations addressing social or environmental issues
– Creative methods of research in the sciences
– Understanding the natural world through computation
– Science communication and public understanding of science
– Making and design in times of social and climate change
– 3D design and cultural heritage
– VR/AR solutions for key social issues
– Medical humanities
– Arts and neuroscience

We invite short and longer presentations in diverse formats, including talk, video recording or practice work with an interactive element. Please send an abstract (max 250 words) and short bio to Brighton Futures FuturesAdmin@brighton.ac.uk by 23 May.

Book your place here

PROGRAMME

This one-day symposium gathers together academics, students, writers, artists and practitioners committed to developing imaginative, creative and ethical narratives of desirable futures to meet contemporary social challenges.

Keynote speakers:

Activist and author of What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape, Sohaila Abdulali

Photographer and social commentator, Miguel Amortegui

Other Activities:

The day will include a live performance project by Murmuration Arts, who will devise a creative response to the event

We will discuss how presenters and attendees might contribute to the post-conference publication that is being planned to include creative and critical work with the publisher Routledge.

All food and refreshments will be vegetarian and vegan friendly

Symposium Contributors:

Katrina Abbatuan, University of Brighton
Hannah Aston, University of Brighton
Suryamayi Clarence-Smith, University of Sussex
Molly Drummond, University of Keele
Mary Gearey, University of Brighton
Fergus Heron, University of Brighton
Paul Howard, University of Brighton
Kate Meakin, University of Sussex
Tony Kalume, Diversity Lewes
Christina Reading, Independent Artist and Researcher
John O’Donoghue, University of Brighton
Neil Ravescroft, Royal Agricultural University
Nicholas Van Hear, Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS), University of Oxford
Sally-Shakti Willow, University of Westminster

This symposium is hosted by the University of Brighton’s Creative Futures
Symposium Organisers
Dr Matt Adams, Principal Lecturer, School of Applied Social Sciences
Dr Jess Moriarty, Principal Lecturer, School of Humanities

CALL FOR PAPERS DEADLINE EXTENDED

Further to the exciting interest that has been generated by this call we have decided to extend the deadline until Friday 19 April to ensure all who are interested have time to respond.

When – Thursday 11 July 2019
Where – University of Brighton – City Campus
What – This one-day symposium gathers together academics, students, writers, artists and practitioners committed to developing imaginative, creative and ethical narratives of desirable futures to meet contemporary social challenges.

Dominant narratives of the future are apocalyptic or business-as-usual, the world will either end horribly and abruptly, or we will be saved by geo-engineering or a techno-fix. We champion work that challenges both catastrophising and complacent visions of the future that can exacerbate feelings of hopelessness, anxiety and powerlessness. Extraordinary and everyday utopias celebrates work – real and imagined – that promotes and inspires social change and sustainable, empowered futures.

We welcome critical and creative work that connects with and also creates narratives of extraordinary and everyday futures. These might include but are not restricted to one or a combination of the below:

Artistic futures
Pedagogic futures
Future communities
Interdisciplinary futures
Future natures
Future design
Organic futures
Diverse futures
Healthy futures

You will each have 20 minutes with which to share your work. This might take the form of a traditional presentation, but we also encourage work that offers creative alternatives to the conventional conference format.

Please submit a 300 word abstract (or use the equivalent in images, video, audio etc.) to Stuart Hedley at s.hedley@brighton.ac.uk

The abstract needs to include your name, affiliation, the title of your submission, an outline of your contribution and details of how you will you use your 20 minutes. The deadline is 5pm on Friday 19 April.

We anticipate a post-conference publication with a mix of creative and critical work.

www.brighton.ac.uk/creativefutures