Events Communities and Communication

International interdisciplinary Conference

This virtual conference is organised by the Department of Media and Performance at Staffordshire University.

The theme of Communities and Communication will be Connections. The community is a concept which is at once decreasing and increasing, as we move away from realworld connections to online ones, we can see that these groups create new environments, connections, discussion and ways of being seen in the digital world. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, we want to share the many narratives and voices which these groups are creating, and ask how they create connection, camaraderie, and visibility for those involved.

This conference seeks to consider the ways in which these communities start, develop and grow, what is created within those groups and how real connections are built through technology sharing and eventually within the virtual environment of online discussion and dissemination. We welcome contributions from across the sector from traditional print media forms to film and television, and gaming and interactive technology, offering the opportunity to explore both applied and theoretical explorations of this area of communities within the digital world. We aim to publish a selection of these contributions in an edited collection developed as a result of the conference.

Call for Papers

Topics of interest

1. Real-world versus digital communities
2. Audio-visual communication practices
3.  Interdisciplinary community connections
4. What is the future of communities?
5. Visibility and identity in communities
6. Local vs global communities
7. Sports, digital media and communities
8. Healthcare and community
9. Community inclusion and exclusion
10. Performance

Guidance for authors

The deadline to submit abstracts is 18 December 2020.

The proposals should include: Title, up to 5 keywords, abstract (250 words), author name, affiliation and short bio (50 words).

All proposals should be emailed to Dr Agata Lulkowska (Agata.Lulkowska@staffs.ac.uk), Dr Sharon Coleclough (sharon.coleclough@staffs.ac.uk), or Stephanie Steventon (Stephanie.Steventon@staffs.ac.uk).

We encourage Early-Career and PhD students to enter. All registration is free

Organising committee

Dr Agata Lulkowska, Dr Sharon Coleclough and Stephanie Steventon in Collaboration with Thomas Wood and Prof. Piotr Siuda.

We look forward to connecting with you at this exciting event.