[Commlist] Post-Brexit Digital Cultures: A Symposium - Call for Papers

The UK’s exit from the EU, triggered by the 2016 referendum, has proven 
less a decisive act of political sovereignty than the latest in a set of 
shifts challenging the legitimacy of the UK as a stable polity. This is 
evident not least in the fact that both Northern Ireland and Scotland 
voted Remain. Brexit was driven in part by a nostalgic fantasy of 
British autonomy, bolstered by a fractious public sphere in which 
digital communications played a major role. Recent revelations from 
Facebook whistle-blower Frances Haugen confirmed suspicions that Big 
Tech profits from, and in some cases actively foments, divisive 
discourses central to Brexit, Trumpism, and other forms of populism.

We invite papers for a half-day in-person symposium (27th May 2022) 
hosted by the Communications Programme at the University of Exeter 
(@ExeterComms). The symposium will interrogate popular cultural texts 
that manifest prominently across digital platforms and proffer insights 
into 21st century democratic processes, providing an essential 
augmentation to analyses of legacy media. Post-Brexit digital culture is 
characterised by polarisation, irreverence, and an absence of 
ideological coherence and these texts span a spectrum of political 
affiliations and national contexts across England, Wales, Scotland, 
Northern Ireland, and Ireland. We therefore welcome short papers, 
think-pieces, and provocations from scholars working across the arts and 
humanities, and social sciences, that engage with Brexit-related digital 
material.
The symposium will afford space to form a network of scholars working in 
this area and to discuss ideas for future collaborations in terms of 
publications and funding bids.

Suggested topics include but are not limited to:

•	Meme culture and Brexit
•	Parody accounts (e.g. Parody Boris Johnson, Parody Laura Kuenssberg)
•	Brexit/Covid-19 conjuncture or parallels
•	Digital responses from contemporary artists (e.g. Rachel Maclean’s 
video art, Emeka Ogboh’s sound installations) •	Brexit as seen from 
abroad in digital media texts
•	Digital celebration and/or protest of Brexit
•	Brexit and Populism (Domestic/International)
•	Brexit and “home nations” nationalisms
•	Celebrity social media interventions during Brexit
•	Brexit, social media platforms, and politics
•	Brexit, contested citizenship, and digital communication
•	Jonathan Pie
•	@BorderIrish
•	Political celebrity content (e.g. Nigel Farage on Patreon)

Proposals for 10 to 15-minute papers should consist of:
 ·      Your name, email, and affiliation
·      The title of the talk
·      200-word abstract
·      75-word presenter bio
 Please send proposals to Neil Ewen ((n.ewen /at/ exeter.ac.uk)) and Anthony 
McIntyre ((anthony.mcintyre /at/ ucd.ie)) by 20th April 2022. Notifications of 
acceptance will be sent by 25th April 2022. We may be able to subsidise 
some travel costs for precariously employed colleagues who would 
otherwise not be able to attend. Please let us know you if you are in 
this position.

This is one of two research events that is being run by the University 
of Exeter's Communications Programme on 27th May. The other event is 
titled 'Digital Exhaustion: A Symposium'. If you would like more 
information about this event, please contact Dr. Alexander R.E. Taylor: 
(A.R.E.Taylor /at/ exeter.ac.uk) Both events are free and participants are 
welcome to attend both, which will run consecutively across the day.

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