CfP: Workshop on Art and Social Change

'Beauty will save the world': An Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Workshop
on Art and Social Change, University of Bristol, 7-8 September 2010

Hosted by the Department of Politics and sponsored by the Institute for
Advanced Studies and the Global Insecurities Centre, University of Bristol

How does art construct, resist and contest dominant identities and
social practices? How does art open up possibilities for (re)creating
the world? What are the relationships between art, aesthetics, and
politics? What are the power relations involved in art? Whose art, and
whose values are best placed to change the world? Can engaging with art
help us develop new epistemologies and research methodologies? Can
beauty 'save' the world?

This two-day interdisciplinary postgraduate workshop is premised on the
assumption that art actively constructs social 'reality', as opposed to
merely reflecting it. Against dominant pronouncements privileging the
centrality of rationalism and science as the legitimate avenues towards
knowledge and social change, this workshop poses the question: what does
the 'serious' pursuit of 'progress' miss out on when it disqualifies the
artist's imaginary as superfluous, lacking impact, unimportant?

The workshop aims to bring together postgraduate students working in and
across various disciplines to share research which looks at the
contested meanings of art and aesthetics, explores art in different
cultural and historical settings, and examines the ways in which art and
its constructions of beauty, society, politics can help in
understanding, and changing, the social world. The workshop will also
enable postgraduate students to engage and network with more established
scholars, who will be present at the workshop as keynote speakers, panel
chairs and roundtable discussants.

We welcome paper and panel proposals (2-3 presenters per panel) which
engage specifically with the theme of art and social change, from
various disciplines, including but not limited to: Archaeology,
Anthropology, Classics, English, Modern Languages, History, History of
Art, Visual and Performing Arts, Cultural Studies, Geography,
Philosophy, Sociology and Politics.

Papers can include think pieces or works in progress. We encourage a
diversity of presentation styles, from 'traditional' papers to
interactive sessions, involving short film screenings, musical and
dramatic performances, and the display of paintings, sculpture,
photographs, and installation art. Presenters will be assigned a
30-minute slot for their presentation, which can be used by the
presenter as they wish, but must include at least 5 minutes for audience
questions.

For more information, or to email abstracts (maximum 300 words) of
proposed presentations, please contact Cerelia Athanasiou
(cerelia.athanasiou ATbristol.ac.uk) and Shaira Kadir (shaira.kadir AT bristol.ac.uk) by 31 May 2010.