[Commlist] CFP: British DiGRA 2026 (University of South Wales)

Andra Ivanescu is pleased to share that *British DiGRA 2026* (the 
Conference of the British Chapter of the Digital Games Research 
Association) will be hosted by the *University of South Wales in Cardiff 
*on *30 June – 1 July 2026*.

Our theme this year is *“Identities at the Periphery”*, exploring how 
identity and peripherality shape games, play, and game cultures across 
the UK and beyond.

We’re particularly interested in work that speaks to:

  * *Identity and community* – how games foster belonging, care, and
    conflict in a divisive political and cultural moment.
  * *Regional and national perspectives* – games and game-making in the
    nations and regions of the UK, and other “peripheral” contexts.
  * *Sustainability and the climate crisis* – net-zero practices,
    eco-conscious design, and responsible uses of emerging technologies
    (including AI).
  * *Defining the periphery* – who decides what’s central or marginal
    in British gaming, and how fringe festivals, local events, and indie
    scenes survive or return.
  * *Intersectionality and representation* – race, gender, class,
    disability, sexuality, and precarity in British gaming spaces (on-
    and offline).
  * *Commercial and cultural tensions* – the push-pull between funding,
    geography, creative freedom, and authentic representation.
  * *Decentring dominant voices* – methods, case studies, and critical
    lenses that foreground underrepresented makers, players, and
    communities.

We welcome submissions from academics, industry practitioners, indie 
creators, critics, and community organisers, across digital and 
non-digital games.

*Submission tracks*

  * *Lightning talks (5 mins)* – 200-word abstract
      o Email: *(bdigra2026-cardiff /at/ southwales.ac.uk)*  with the Subject:
        Lightning
  *
    *Paper presentations (20 mins)* – 500-word abstract
      o Email: *(bdigra2026-cardiff /at/ southwales.ac.uk)* with the Subject:
        Papers
  * *Exhibitions / demos / workshops* – 300-word description (including
    tech needs & intended audience experience)
      o Email: *(bdigra2026-cardiff /at/ southwales.ac.uk)* with the Subject:
        Exhibitions, Demos, Workshops

To support equitable participation, *no author may present more than two 
contributions* across all tracks.
*Publication*
Publication following the conference will be *optional*. This opt-in 
approach is intended to accommodate a wide range of work (including 
early-stage and blue-skies research), while also allowing scholars who 
wish to pursue alternative publication venues to present without 
incurring an additional publication commitment.
*Key dates*

  * *Submission deadline:* 24 February 2026
  * *Notifications:* 30 March 2026
  * *Conference:* 30 June – 1 July 2026 (set-up on 29 June)

*Registration (in-person includes lunch & refreshments)*

  * Employed (in-person): *£50*
  * PGR / unwaged (in-person): *£10*
  * Online attendance: *£10*

The *full call for papers, themes, and guiding questions* is available here:
_https://bdigra.co.uk/bdigra-2026-call-for-papers 
<https://bdigra.co.uk/bdigra-2026-call-for-papers>_

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