[Commlist] CFP: A Research-creation episteme? Practices, interventions, dissensus

*A Research-creation episteme? Practices, interventions, dissensus*

/Dissensus is not a confrontation between interests or opinions. It is 
the demonstration (manifestation) of a gap in the sensible itself./
          Jacques Rancière

Symposium (hybrid) | Trent University | Peterborough ON, Canada | 
October 30, 2023

In cooperation with:

Materialities Research Group, Canadian Comparative Literature 
Association (complit.ca <http://complit.ca>)

Cultural Studies Graduate Programs, Trent University (trentu.ca 
<https://www.trentu.ca/culturalstudies/programs/graduate>)

Public Texts Graduate Program, Trent University (trentu.ca 
<https://www.trentu.ca/english/programs/english-ma-public-texts>)

/Imaginations: Journal of Cross-Cultural Image 
Studies/(imaginationsjournal.ca 
<https://imaginationsjournal.ca/index.php/imaginations>)

Guest: Prof. Laura Marks (Simon Fraser University)

Humanities scholars have been asking increasingly specific questions 
about whether creative practices correlate to knowledge production, and 
about the boundaries of a creative research orientation. While systems 
of categorization have shifted to meet new demands for knowledge 
transfer and dissemination at universities, the watersheds protecting 
visual artistic practice have given way to multi-modal forms of expression.

These include archival projects, creative writing, communications, 
documentary film, film essay, mapping and locative projects, sound art, 
theatre and performance, transmedial storytelling, and others.

The epistemic shift implied by reconfiguring these outputs as novel 
practices that either complement or displace the traditional pathways of 
knowledge production is still largely untested despite strong initial 
recognition by research granting agencies, faculty hiring committees, 
and other pockets of institutional power.

Our daylong (hybrid) symposium at Trent University (Peterborough, 
Ontario, Canada) will examine these issues by asking the following:

• What is the boundary dividing creative from non-creative practices?

• What are approaches that artists have adopted to transfer their 
practice into a knowledge-producing milieu?

• What are the fora of presenting research-creative projects, and who 
are the audiences?

• How does academic research-creation respond to the demand for 
community involvement and accountability? What are the institutional 
guarantees?

• How has artistic value been redirected to meet the university’s market 
demands (distinct from those of the culture industries)?

• How do creative works develop pathways through the established 
benchmarks of securing research funding? How have funding agencies 
responded to these shifts, and are they viable?

• What are the implications of developing work under different 
linguistic, national, regional, or global conceptual umbrellas (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 comply with the evaluation 
rubrics for hire, reappointment, tenure, and promotion?

• How do creative outputs advance causes of equity and access?

• To what extent does research-creation, modelled as an intervention, 
participate in the ongoing labour to decolonize universities?

• What does research-creation reveal for reputedly “traditional” 
researchers about their own practices?

• What are such researchers afraid of when they encounter 
research-creative projects?

• What does the diversification of knowledges and methods add to 
historical debates on the subject and whom do these serve?

While many of the necessary questions have been asked before, consensus 
has not been achieved and perhaps never should. The developing social 
contract on research-creation may result in outcomes less desirable than 
the existing state of affairs. We therefore aim to build a community of 
scholars linked by solidarity as opposed to unanimity and welcome 
dissension into our ranks. Instead of demanding answers we seek better 
questions.

We invite scholars, including faculty and graduate students, artists, 
practitioners, creatives, and collaborators to deliver short (~ 5 
minute) “manifestos” that explore at least one aspect of the emerging 
episteme. These will be convened in a daylong event at Trent University 
(Peterborough, Ontario, Canada), as well as remotely via Zoom.

Those interested in submitting their presentations after the event will 
be considered for publication in a special issue of/Imaginations: 
Journal of Cross-Cultural Image Studies./

This event is free for participants and open to the public.

Submission guidelines (deadline August 15 2023):

Presenters must submit a 150-word abstract with details about their 
presentation focused on the matter at hand, whether from a perspective 
that is theoretical, institutional, art-historical, or practical. The 
presentations should adopt the style of a missive or manifesto. 
Presenters must also submit a 50-word bio.

Send to:(ccla.aclc /at/ trentu.ca) <mailto:(ccla.aclc /at/ trentu.ca)>

Organizers:

Agata Mergler, York University ((agatamer /at/ yorku.ca) 
<mailto:(agatamer /at/ yorku.ca)>)
Joshua Synenko, Trent University ((joshuasynenko /at/ trentu.ca) 
<mailto:(joshuasynenko /at/ trentu.ca)>)


---------------
The COMMLIST
---------------
This mailing list is a free service offered by Nico Carpentier. Please use it responsibly and wisely.
--
To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit http://commlist.org/
--
Before sending a posting request, please always read the guidelines at http://commlist.org/
--
To contact the mailing list manager:
Email: (nico.carpentier /at/ commlist.org)
URL: http://nicocarpentier.net
---------------