[ecrea] CfP: Storytelling and the Body Conference

Storytelling and the Body: An Inclusive Interdisciplinary Conference
15th to 16th July 2019
Verona, Italy

We live in an era where stories about bodies – in/visible bodies, 
glamorous bodies, engineered bodies, trafficked bodies, dismembered 
bodies, persecuted bodies – are omnipresent. While bodies are literally 
made of flesh and blood, our understanding of bodies is constructed 
through fictional and non-fictional stories that shape perceptions of 
what constitutes the body, how a body should look, how a body should 
behave, how a body should experience the world and how bodies should 
interact with each other. By creating these types of norms, stories also 
shape perceptions of what constitutes deviant, non-normative and 
otherwise undesirable bodies. Telling stories about the body is 
therefore an act loaded with ideological, political, sociological, 
theological, ontological and aesthetic implications.

At the same time, notions of the body have also had a significant impact 
on the stories cultures have created and passed down through 
generations. Suffering bodies are central to the foundational narratives 
of various religious, cultural and political traditions. Genres have 
emerged with stories about monstrous bodies, sexual and erotic bodies, 
bodies at war, modified bodies, bodies coming of age and ageing, bodies 
being tested by nature, bodies enhanced by (bio)technology, politicised 
bodies and so forth.

At a time when the socio-political landscape is dominated by the 
construction of barriers among the population based on race, 
nationality, gender, sexual orientation and class, it is more important 
than ever to consider how stories about bodies and perceptions of bodies 
shaped by stories not only foster division and difference, but also 
inspire cohesion and belonging. Stories help to create tangible and 
intangible barriers and borders between human beings. At the same time, 
stories can also foster awareness and compassion for our common humanity 
in order to transcend borders and overcome barriers. Some barriers are 
more personal, and therefore less obvious, because they take the form of 
a physical or psychological issue that somehow limits an individual’s 
capacity to participate in their community and/or to achieve their full 
potential.

Accordingly, the second inclusive interdisciplinary Storytelling event 
seeks to explore the complex, multi-faceted dynamics of this symbiotic 
relationship between storytelling and the body with a view to forming a 
publication to engender further collaboration and discussion.

Particular disciplines, practices and professions have inscribed stories 
and bodies with particular meanings that, when viewed in isolation, can 
be skewed and limited. Accordingly, the project aims to break down these 
boundaries through inter-disciplinary engagement that emphasises 
inclusivity, dialogue and collegiality.

Consistent with its interdisciplinary ethos, the event proposes to step 
outside the traditional conference setting and offer opportunities for 
artists, photographers, practitioners, theorists, independent scholars, 
academics, performers, writers, and others to intermingle, providing 
platforms for interdisciplinary interactions that are fruitful and 
conducive to broadening horizons and sparking future projects, 
collaborations, and connections.

The organisers welcome proposals for presentations, displays, exhibits, 
round tables, panels, interactive workshops and other activities to 
stimulate engagement and discussion on any aspect of the interplay 
between stories, bodies, barriers and borders, particularly in relation to:

~ Law, jurisprudence and public policy
~ Morality and ethics
~ Business/economics
~ Education
~ Religion and spirituality
~ Labour/human capital
~ Medicine, health and wellness
~ Science and technology
~ Social work
~ Activism
~ Social media
~ Film and television
~ Theatre
~ Literature
~ Music
~ Fine Art
~ Sport
~ Popular culture
~ Body art: implants, painting, piercings, tattoos, scarification, 
sculpting, shaping
~ Body modifications
~ Non-human bodies, the bodies of other species
~ Post-human bodies

What to Send
The aim of this interdisciplinary conference and collaborative 
networking event is to bring people together and encourage creative 
conversations in the context of a variety of formats: papers, seminars, 
workshops, storytelling, performances, poster presentations, panels, 
q&a’s, roundtables etc.

300 word proposals, presentations, abstracts and other forms of 
contribution and participation should be submitted by Friday 22nd 
February 2019. Other forms of participation should be discussed in 
advance with the Organising Chair.

All submissions will be minimally double reviewed, under anonymous 
(blind) conditions, by a global panel drawn from members of the Project 
Development Team and the Advisory Board. In practice our procedures 
usually entail that by the time a proposal is accepted, it will have 
been triple and quadruple reviewed.

You will be notified of the panel’s decision by Friday 8th March 2019.

If your submission is accepted for the conference, a full draft of your 
contribution should be submitted by Friday 31st May 2019.

Abstracts and proposals may be in Word, PDF, RTF or Notepad formats with 
the following information and in this order:
a) author(s), b) affiliation as you would like it to appear in the 
programme, c) email address, d) title of proposal, e) body of proposal, 
f) up to 10 keywords.

E-mails should be entitled: Storytelling and the Body Submission.

Early Bird Submission and Discount
Submissions received on or before Friday 18th January 2019 will be 
eligible for a 10% registration fee discount.

Where to Send
Abstracts should be submitted simultaneously to the Organising Chair and 
the Project Administrator:

Dr Cristina Santos: (csantos /at/ brocku.ca) <mailto:(csantos /at/ brocku.ca)>
Project Administrator: (veronastory /at/ progressiveconnexions.net) 
<mailto:(veronastory /at/ progressiveconnexions.net)>

What’s so Special About Progressive Connexions Events?
A fresh, friendly, dynamic format – at Progressive Connexions we are 
dedicated to breaking away from the stuffy, old-fashion conference 
formats, where endless presentations are read aloud off PowerPoints. We 
work to bring you an interactive format, where exchange of experience 
and information is alternated with captivating workshops, engaging 
debates and round tables, time set aside for getting to know each other 
and for discussing common future projects and initiatives, all in a 
warm, relaxed, egalitarian atmosphere.

A chance to network with international professionals – the beauty of our 
interdisciplinary events is that they bring together professionals from 
all over the world and from various fields of activity, all joined 
together by a shared passion. Not only will the exchange of experience, 
knowledge and stories be extremely valuable in itself, but we seek to 
create lasting, ever-growing communities around our projects, which will 
become a valuable resource for those belonging to them.

A chance to be part of constructing change – There is only one thing we 
love as much as promoting knowledge: promoting real, lasting social 
change by encouraging our participants to take collective action, under 
whichever form is most suited to their needs and expertise (policy 
proposals, measuring instruments, research projects, educational 
materials, etc.) We will support all such actions in the aftermath of 
the event as well, providing a platform for further discussions, advice 
from the experts on our Project Advisory Team and various other tools 
and intellectual resources, as needed.

An opportunity to discuss things that matter to you – Our events are not 
only about discussing how things work in the respective field, but also 
about how people work in that field – what are the struggles, problems 
and solutions professionals have found in their line of work, what are 
the areas where better communication among specialists is needed and how 
the interdisciplinary approach can help bridge those gaps and help 
provide answers to questions from specific areas of activity.

An unforgettable experience – When participating in a Progressive 
Connexions event, there is a good chance you will make some long-time 
friends. Our group sizes are intimate, our venues are comfortable and 
relaxing and our event locations are suited to the history and culture 
of the event.

Ethos
Progressive Connexions believes it is a mark of personal courtesy and 
professional respect to your colleagues that all delegates should attend 
for the full duration of the meeting. If you are unable to make this 
commitment, please do not submit an abstract or proposal for presentation.

Please note: Progressive Connexions is a not-for-profit network and we 
are not in a position to be able to assist with conference travel or 
subsistence, nor can we offer discounts off published rates and fees.

Enquiries: (veronastory /at/ progressiveconnexions.net) 
<mailto:(veronastory /at/ progressiveconnexions.net)>

Web address: 
http://www.progressiveconnexions.net/interdisciplinary-projects/storytelling/storytelling-and-the-body/conferences/

Sponsored by: Progressive Connexions

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