[Commlist] Comedy in Crisis Conference - Call for Papers

Please find below information on Mixed Bill’s new Call for Papers for 
our 2022 Comedy in Crisis conference.

**

*Comedy in Crisis Conference*

*Mixed Bill: Comedy and Gender Research Network*

*Birmingham City University, 14^th and 15^th January 2022 *

**

*Call for papers*

**

During the current COVID-19 pandemic, comedy (and social uses of humour) 
have become increasingly vital as a method of coping with adversity on 
both a local and global scale. Shared laughter can provide a temporary 
relief from the anxieties that continue to dominate a socially distanced 
existence, and thus bring people together whilst physically apart. In 
this context temporary humour communities have become increasingly 
significant. This conference will creatively explore how comedy (both in 
terms of content and industrial practices related to live and mediated 
forms) adapts and engages with times of crisis.

Although we anticipate a significant amount of discussion will look to 
recent events related to the pandemic, we also actively seek 
presentations engaging with wider conceptions of personal, social, 
political and environmental crises. We therefore invite abstracts for 
presentations, performances and creative responses on the following 
topics. Note our examples below are from a UK context, but please do not 
let that constrain your responses:

  * Comic responses to times of crisis (current and historic) – e.g.
    community building/ satirical of responses to these periods of
    change. The rise of comic TikTok videos and ‘too soon’ backlash to
    some comic responses.
     
  * Comedy industry responses to crisis – e.g. how have performers,
    promoters, festivals and venues nationally and internationally
    adapted to social distancing andisolationmeasures?How have methods
    of engaging with audiences evolved and have any approaches enabled
    wider access to comic performance (e.g. for those with disabilities)?

  * Comedy and political crisis – e.g. Brexit and the impact on Northern
    Ireland, regional devolution and Scottish independence. Humanitarian
    crises such as those occurring in the Middle East.
  * Comedy and the crises of the British Monarchy – e.g. responses to
    Prince Andrew’s /Newsnight/ interview, the death of Prince Philip,
    the racism faced by Megan Markle etc.

  * Comedy and BLM/ Comedy as a way to expose racism and bigotry at
    moments of crisis - e.g. comic responses to the toppling of the
    Colston Statue, release of the flawed and controversial Sewell
    Report etc.

  * Comedy as part of public information communication efforts - e.g.
    campaigns around handwashing/ public health advice during the
    pandemic, refugee and climate crisis messaging.
     
  * Humour as a coping mechanism- e.g. thehumourof thosegroupswho have
    been disproportionatelyimpacted uponby the pandemic(NHS and care
    workers for example), performers who discuss personal experiences
    such grief, mental health crises or baby loss etc.
This interdisciplinary conference event aims to bring together 
academics, comedy industry practitioners and performers to explore these 
vital questions about how comedy responds to and adapts to times of 
crisis. We are particularly keen to include responses from 
under-represented groups and programme a mixture of traditional and 
experimental approaches to presenting (our previous events have involved 
performance papers, zine making, and drama activities so feel free to 
suggest an alternative or innovative method).

**

*Deadline for proposals:*5th September 2021**

**

*Submissions and any questions:*(Mixedbill /at/ gmail.com)

*Format:*500-word abstract and 200-word (max) biographical note. Please 
submit as a word document or PDF.

All those submitting will be notified regarding the outcome by 11^th 
October 2021 and the conference will run Friday 14^th and Saturday 15^th 
January 2022 in a hybrid model.

*Note on Mixed Bill:*

Mixed Bill are a Comedy and Gender research group founded and 
co-ordinated by Dr Ellie Tomsett (Birmingham City University), Lisa 
Moore (Salford University), Dr Kate Fox (independent researcher and 
stand-up poet) and Dr Natalie Diddams (Manchester Metropolitan University).

You can follow us on Twitter (@MixedBill) and find out more on our 
website - www.mixedbill.wordpress.com <http://www.mixedbill.wordpress.com>

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