Supernatural Connections
Friday 12th march 2021 - Saturday 13th March 2021
Lisbon, Portugal
Due to the postponement of this event in light of the
Covid pandemic, we are delighted to be able to unexpectedly reopen the Call for
Submissions for the newly rescheduled dates.
As a constant and chilling presence in individual
lives and the popular imagination, the supernatural, as a cultural phenomenon,
is prone to repeated revivals and resurrections. Like some uncanny revenant,
the supernatural re-emerges at crucial historical moments, often transforming
to reflect the concerns of its epoch. Recent times have seen a sharp rise in
occult practice amongst millennials, many of whom have rejected more
traditional spiritual systems in favour of Wicca, witchcraft and astrology.
The
past two decades have also witnessed a proliferation of supernatural fiction,
encompassing everything from populist works like Supernatural (2005 – present),
Twilight (2008-2012), The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018 – present) and
Siempre Bruja (2019) to critically-acclaimed texts like The Babadook (2014),
The Witch (2015) Under the Shadow (2016) and Suspiria (2018). The reawakening
of interest in the supernatural poses a wealth of questions about why the
occult has once again seized hold of the popular imagination, while, at the
same time, gesturing backwards to earlier eruptions of supernaturalism (witch
trials, outbreaks of demonic possession, the nineteenth-century vogue for
Spiritualism, the New-Age occultism of the 1960s and ‘70s).
But what does the current preoccupation with the
supernatural say about contemporary societies, particularly in relation to
issues of gender, sexuality and identity, socio-political anxieties, historical
and personal trauma? Why does the supernatural provide such a potent vehicle
for grappling with those issues? Why are some expressions of the supernatural
more culturally acceptable than others? To what extent does the supernatural play
a positive role in society, and to what extent does it provide a convenient
scapegoat for the real-world dark impulses of human beings?
The Supernatural Connections conference seeks to
provide a platform for exploring these questions from inclusive interdisciplinary
perspectives by opening up new avenues of research and new conversations about
the supernatural through papers, performances and panels focusing on any aspect
of this complex, multifaceted topic with a view to forming an innovative
interdisciplinary publication to engender further research and collaboration..
The conference organisers are particularly interested in incorporating papers/
presentations from a diverse range of disciplines, including, but not limited
to, literary and cultural studies, film studies, theology, psychology, the
social and natural sciences, history, philosophy, sociology, education and
anthropology. We also enthusiastically welcome submissions from practitioners,
artists, writers, curators and others.
Key Topics
Potential topics may address any of the following
topics; however, we are open to any submission that investigates the
supernatural:
- Critiques and defences of the supernatural and related belief systems
- Comparisons between contemporary and historical understandings of the supernatural
- How creative practice shapes our perception of the supernatural (e.g. film, television, videogames, music, theatre, literature, art, etc.)
- Impact of cultural, national, regional identity on perceptions of the supernatural
- Ideological implications of the supernatural: how the supernatural reflects and informs political anxieties and general attitudes about the human body, race, gender, sexuality, class and nationality
- Interface between science, technology and the supernatural
- Commodifying the supernatural (dark tourism, spiritualists/fortune-tellers, etc.)
- Supernaturalism and Indigenous cultures
- Physiological/neurological perspectives on the supernatural
- Impact of beliefs in the supernatural on everyday practices, and the implications of these practices
- Interface between education and belief in the supernatural
- Health, wellness and supernatural beliefs
- Analyses of case studies of supernatural occurrences
What To Send
The aim of this inclusive interdisciplinary conference
and collaborative networking event is to bring people together and encourage
creative conversations in the context of a variety of formats: papers,
seminars, workshops, storytelling, performances, poster presentations, panels,
q&a’s, round-tables etc. Creative responses to the subject, such as
poetry/prose, short film screenings/original drama, installations and
alternative presentation styles that engage the audience and foster debate are
particularly encouraged. Please feel free to put forward proposals that you
think will get the message across, in whatever form.
At the end of the conference we will be exploring ways
in which we can develop the discussions and dialogues in new and sustainable
inclusive interdisciplinary directions, including research, workshops and
publications which will help us make sense of the topics discussed during the
meeting.
300 word proposals, presentations, abstracts and other
forms of contribution and participation should be submitted by Friday 4th
September 2020. Other forms of participation should be discussed in advance
with the Organising Chairs.
All submissions will be at least double reviewed,
under anonymous (blind) conditions, by a global panel drawn from members of the
Project Team, The Development Team and the Advisory Board. In practice our
procedures usually entail that by the time a proposal is accepted, it will have
been triple and quadruple reviewed.
You will be notified of the panel’s decision by Friday
18th September 2020.
If your submission is accepted for the conference, a
full draft of your contribution should be submitted by Friday 15th January
2021.
Abstracts and proposals may be in Word, RTF or Notepad
formats with the following information and in this order: a) author(s), b)
affiliation as you would like it to appear in the programme, c) email address,
d) title of proposal, e) type of proposal e.g. paper presentation, workshop,
panel, film, performance, etc, f) body of proposal, g) up to 10 keywords.
E-mails should be entitled: Supernatural Connections
Submission
Where To Send
Abstracts should be submitted simultaneously to the
Organising Chair and the Project Administrator:
- Miranda Corcoran: miranda@progressiveconnexions.net
- Len Capuli (Project Administrator): lisbonsupernatural@progressiveconnexions.net
What’s so Special About a Progressive Connexions
Event?
A fresh, friendly, dynamic format – at Progressive
Connexions we are dedicated to breaking away from the stuffy, old-fashion
conference formats, where endless presentations are read aloud off PowerPoints.
We work to bring you an interactive format, where exchange of experience and
information is alternated with captivating workshops, engaging debates and
round tables, time set aside for getting to know each other and for discussing
common future projects and initiatives, all in a warm, relaxed, egalitarian atmosphere.
A chance to network with international professionals –
the beauty of our interdisciplinary events is that they bring together
professionals from all over the world and from various fields of activity, all
joined together by a shared passion. Not only will the exchange of experience,
knowledge and stories be extremely valuable in itself, but we seek to create
lasting, ever-growing communities around our projects, which will become a
valuable resource for those belonging to them.
A chance to be part of constructing change – There is
only one thing we love as much as promoting knowledge: promoting real, lasting
social change by encouraging our participants to take collective action, under
whichever form is most suited to their needs and expertise (policy proposals,
measuring instruments, research projects, educational materials, etc.) We will
support all such actions in the aftermath of the event as well, providing a
platform for further discussions, advice from the experts on our Project
Advisory Team and various other tools and intellectual resources, as needed.
An opportunity to discuss things that matter to you –
Our events are not only about discussing how things work in the respective
field, but also about how people work in that field – what are the struggles,
problems and solutions professionals have found in their line of work, what are
the areas where better communication among specialists is needed and how the
interdisciplinary approach can help bridge those gaps and help provide answers to
questions from specific areas of activity.
An unforgettable experience – When participating in a
Progressive Connexions event, there is a good chance you will make some
long-time friends. Our group sizes are intimate, our venues are comfortable and
relaxing and our event locations are suited to the history and culture of the
event.
Ethos
Progressive Connexions believes it is a mark of
personal courtesy and professional respect to your colleagues that all
delegates should attend for the full duration of the meeting. If you are unable
to make this commitment, please do not submit an abstract or proposal for
presentation.
Please note: Progressive Connexions is a
not-for-profit network and we are not in a position to be able to assist with
conference travel or subsistence, nor can we offer discounts off published
rates and fees.
Please send all enquiries to:
lisbonsupernatural@progressiveconnexions.net
For further details and information please visit the
conference web page.
Sponsored by: Progressive Connexions
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