March 1, 2023

r/evolution in Media(Scapes): A CMF Graduate Student Conference

The University of Calgary’s Department of Communication, Media, and Film presents r/evolution in Media(Scapes): A CMF Graduate Student Conference, online via Zoom from May 10th to 11th.
r/evolution in Media(Scapes)

The concept of Revolution, once a powerful force for change, has become less striking recently, it’s Evolutionary potential growing muddled. The power of Revolution in the critical lexicon has diminished because of society's growing fragmentation and polarization. By deconstructing established notions of Revolution and reforming our approach to transforming Mediated landscapes via creativity and innovation, we hope our theme will help build new avenues for thought and action.

  • Why r/evolution?

We seek to reform contemporary perspectives and redefine Revolution as an Evolutionary process - as a ludic and imaginative space where we are all invited to partake in novel, unprecedented, and sometimes messy ways.

  • Why Media(Scapes)?

The study of Media(Scapes) examines the complex relationships between technology, culture, and politics by exploring creative and transformative ways of using media to shape and reshape social and cultural landscapes.

Our theme, r/evolution in Media(Scapes), encourages all scholars to actively challenge traditional norms and re-envision social, political, cultural, and mediatized landscapes using innovative and reformative approaches.

 

Call For Papers

This is a Call For Papers (CFP) for the 2023 CMF Graduate Student Conference. Please, submit your proposals here. The proposal submission deadline has been extended to 11:59 pm MT on April 15th, 2023.

Some of the research topics you may wish to present on for this year’s Conference include:

  • Cinema, documentary, photography, and sound
  • Community, society, and culture
  • Embodiment and subjectivities in media
  • Emerging media and technologies (artificial intelligence, data centres, telecom, etc.)
  • Media, social movements, and activism
  • New media industries (social media platforms, etc.)
  • Representation and power in media
  • Theories and practices

The above list is not exhaustive and merely includes some of the topics you may wish to present on for this year’s Conference. We welcome submissions from the many different research backgrounds that fall under our theme, even if they do not directly address one of the topics listed here.

We welcome any proposal submissions for the following three presentation formats:

  • Short talks (200-word abstract): A shorter presentation, five to seven minutes in duration, followed by a Q&A session. An ideal choice for any presenter wishing to share and discuss an idea or research-in-progress. First-time presenters, MA students, and senior undergraduates are encouraged to apply.
  • Long talks (300-word abstract): A longer presentation, 10 to 15 minutes in duration, followed by a Q&A session. An ideal choice for any presenter wishing to share and discuss an in-depth and developed analysis of their research topic.
  • Alternative format (250-word abstract): We welcome proposals for alternative formats, 10-15 minutes in duration, to be followed by a Q&A session. When proposing an alternative format, please include a description of your chosen format (i.e., interactive session, multi-speaker panel, etc.) in your 250-word abstract proposal. While we cannot guarantee that we will be able to accommodate your alternative format, we will try our best to do so.

All applicants are asked to consider an equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) framework in their proposal submission and will be prompted to complete the EDIA pledge as part of their proposal submission.

Click here to access the form to submit your proposal and here for our Conference website. We will alert all applicants regarding the status of their submissions by mid to late April. A full conference schedule and Keynote speaker announcements will occur closer to the Conference date.

If you have any questions about this CFP, please contact Matthew Halajian (mhalajia@ucalgary.ca) or Liz McIver (elizabeth.mciver@ucalgary.ca).

Thank you in advance, and we look forward to your submissions!

 

 

This Conference is being held online via Zoom to encourage participation from those unable to attend in person. Organizing any optional in-person social events in Calgary will be confirmed at a later date and communicated to the conference participants.

 

We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta, which includes the Blackfoot Confederacy (comprising the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai First Nations), as well as the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda (including the Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Wesley First Nations).  The city of Calgary is also home to Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3.