*CFP* “MEDIA INTERACTIONS AND ENVIRONMENTS”, MECCSA 2020, UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON

Media Interactions and Environments

MeCCSA 2020

8-10 January 2020

University of Brighton, UK

Interactions with media are increasingly pervasive, woven into the textures and cultural politics of everyday lives. And when the spaces of our homes, shops, schools, offices and cities are so intensively mediatised, media becomes our /environment/, brought to life through our mundane, personal, professional, creative, commercial and ideological interactions. But what are the social, political and material implications of these media and cultural experiences and encounters? Whose voices and perspectives are included or excluded, and how is power and agency reconfigured, realigned or reproduced in this complex media landscape? The theme Media Interactions and Environments is designedto address this critical moment in contemporary media culture, and appeal to a broad range of media, communication and cultural studies interests and approaches.

This conference approaches the theme of media interactions and environments in an expansive sense, to include, amongst others, media texts, technologies, practices, audiences, institutions and experiences. Media interactions might be digital, cultural, political, emotional and imaginative. Environments could be spatial, political, representational, urban, local, physical, virtual and ecological. This conference theme will also enable the MeCCSA community to question how we should live responsibly and ethically in a politically and ecologically changing world, through an exploration of the central role of media cultures and creative practices in addressing social, political and climate-based challenges.

We invite proposals for scholarly papers, themed panels, posters, film screenings and other practice-based contributions. Proposals might engage with the various social, political, economic, artistic, individual, collective, institutional, representational and technological dimensions of media interactions and environments. 

Potential topics could include, but are not limited to:

• Media, communication and inequality: exploring race, gender, sexuality, class and (dis)ability
• Datafication, agency and power
• Ecologies of media industries
• Social movements, activism and civic engagement
• Transformative learning environments and pedagogy
• Participatory media and collective engagement
• Popular culture, media and representations of the environment

• Media archaeology, sustainability and archives
• Digital cultures and immersive technologies, practices, audiences and experiences 

• Communicating and envisioning futures
• Critical and creative responses to the anthropocene
• Visual cultures, representations and experiences

We welcome contributions across the full range of interests represented by MeCCSA and its networks, including, but not limited to:

•    Race, ethnicity and postcolonial studies
•    Representation, identity, ideology
•    Film and television studies and practice
•    Radio studies and practice
•    Cultural and media policy
•    Social movements and activism
•    Climate change, sustainability and environment
•    Digital culture and games studies
•    Gender and sexuality studies
•    Disability studies within media studies
•    Media pedagogy
•    BAME experiences of media and culture industries
•    Children, young people and media
•    Diasporic and ethnic minority media
•    Political communication
•    Methodological approaches
•    Media practice research and teaching
•    Community media

Submitting a proposal

1. Individual abstracts should be up to 250 words, and include a 200 word biog. 
2. Panel proposals should include a short description and rationale (200 words) together with abstracts for each of the 3-4 papers, and the name and contact details of the panel proposer. 
3. The panel proposer should coordinate the submissions for that panel as a single proposal.

Practice-based work

We actively support the presentation of practice-as-research and have a flexible approach to practice papers and presentations. This may include opportunities to present papers and screenings in the same sessions or as part of a separate screening strand. We also welcome shorter papers in association with short screenings. We also have dedicated presentation spaces to display practice artefacts including screenings, posters and computer-based work. For displaying practice work, please include specific technical data (e.g. duration, format) and a URL pointing to any support material when submitting your abstract. We expect delegates who are showing screenings to be present at the conference.

Please note that all proposals (abstracts and practice-based work) will be peer reviewed. PGRs are welcome to submit.

Submission deadline:31 July 2019

Submit proposals to meccsa2020@brighton.ac.uk