5 Themes for the Symposium and Exhibition – Care, Water, Food, Shelter, Cost
Inaugural Biennial Symposium and Exhibition
April 22-24, 2021
Where do we go, as the world around us changes dramatically, and resources for the arts diminish? What kind of arts and culture sustain us through social isolation while bolstering the future we want to live in? The Studio for Sustainability and Social Action (S3A) inaugural symposium and exhibition is organized around five themes: Care – Water – Food – Shelter – Cost. The virtual programming provides opportunities for the exploration of different formats—including virtual workshops, performances, artist lectures, and other modalities of experiential learning and remote participation. Centered on sustainability and social action, the exhibition and symposium will create convergences and collaborations that further intersect with the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals. With the exhibition at the center of our inaugural symposium, we have invited artists from each of our five fundamental themes, among whom are Future Farmers, Roberto Lugo, and Katie Holten. We welcome participants from various fields, primarily those associated with the arts, including but not limited to digital, literary, visual and performing arts, art history, and art education. We encourage participation from teachers and researchers in architecture, design, engineering, and community organizers investigating sustainability, food insecurity, and health and wellbeing. Students are also encouraged to submit proposals to the symposium. Accepted content and their corresponding presentations will be published in symposium proceedings and digital archives. We seek proposals that honor the five themes of the symposium while enhancing audience participation and engagement through creative forms, experimental approaches, scholarly research, and artistic production related to: Care: Stewardship, Empathy, Hospitality, Disability, Injustice Water: Value, Health, Accessibility, Climate Change, Pollution Food: Insecurity, Organic Agriculture, Sustainable Agriculture, Foraging Shelter: Homelessness, Urban Development, Inclusivity, Displacement, Museums Cost: Human, Environmental, Cultural, Gift Economy, Grassroots Economy
Deadline for Proposal Submission: Monday, March 1, 2021
Proposal Submission:
Instructions:
- Direct questions about the proposal process to the Program Committee at xcz1@psu.edu
- Deadline for submissions Monday, March 1, 2021.
- Submit proposals electronically to S3Asubmissions@psu.edu
- Letters of acceptance will be emailed to the presenters no later than Friday, March 19.
Types:
Individual presentation
- An individual presentation refers to scholarly and visual and/or multi-media presentations. Individual presentations will be grouped into one of the five themed sessions with three to four other individual presenters. These presentations will be pre-recorded to be viewed synchronously, immediately preceding the presentation discussion. These sessions will be facilitated as a video conference discussion by recognized scholars in the themed “field” and will also be available asynchronously to all symposium attendees. Media to support these sessions will be due Friday, April 9, two weeks prior to the symposium. Time: 25 minutes.
Panel
- A panel is a proposal consisting of 3-5 presentations that address a related topic/idea outlined by the proposers. This year we encourage alternate formats that might include discussions among scholars, educators, leaders, and activists. These sessions will be held as live video conferences. Time: 60 minutes.
Book talk
- A book talk refers to author-focused or editor-focused exploration of their published edited or sole authored text within the last five years. These sessions will be held as either a live video conference or prerecorded with a live Q&A. Time: 50 minutes.
Workshop
- Several spaces will be available throughout the program for workshops. These presentations are intended to foster critical and public dialogue around particular artistic practices. This year we encourage workshops centered around experiential learning. Time: 50 minutes
Performance
- These performances should function as contexts for social action and sustainability. Please note that given our virtual setting for this year, performers will be responsible for any necessary media/technology regardless of synchronous/asynchronous presentation. Time: 25 minutes
Film Screening
- There are symposium slots designated for short films and documentaries that respond to one or more of this year’s themes. Time: 30 or 50 minutes.
Studio Visit/Walking Tour:
- We value all forms of creative inquiry, including explorations that happen within and outside the typical studio space. These visits/tours should engage the viewer in the various ways environmental context shapes how we understand one or more of the fundamental themes. Time: 25 or 50 minutes
Must Include:
- Title – Title of your proposal
- First author/presenter/performer – Name, affiliation, email
- Additional authors/presenters/performers – Names, affiliations, emails
- Presentation type – Individual, panel, book talk, workshop, performance, film screening, studio visit/tour
- Abstract – Up to 150 words
- Keywords – Five key words/tags summarizing the focus/themes of your proposal
- Summary – A one-sentence summary of the focus of your proposal
- Proposal – No more than 400 words for an individual presentation, panel, book talk, workshop, performance, film screening, studio visit/tour; make sure to include how your presentation will enhance dialogue and interaction in a remote setting.
Please include any additional requests or considerations for your submission as appropriate.