Three-D Issue 22: MeCCSA 2015: Generations
The dynamic conference team at Northumbria are working hard on preparations for the 2015 MeCCSA conference in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Put 7th – 9th January in your diary now! The CFP has already gone out (see next page) – as you can see we have a stellar set of confirmed speakers and we are hoping that you will add to this amazing line-up. Please note: the clock is ticking and you need to get abstracts, panel and practice proposals to us by September 1st 2014.
We particularly welcome panel proposals, papers and practice which respond to the conference theme of ‘Generations’ – see CFP. The notion of ‘Generations’ can be interpreted as loosely or as tightly as you wish. The conference team discussed generations of technology, media theory and policy. We were also thinking about professional generations; those about to leave the profession, who may have entered higher education in the 1970s and 80s, and those who are just beginning their careers across a range of disciplines. Colleagues working in higher education over the last thirty years have seen the sector change utterly; perhaps for the better, perhaps for the worse, and this conference will offer an opportunity to reflect upon the (ahem) ‘impact’ of such innovations as the RAE and REF processes, or the introduction of student fees. The opening plenary will feature presentations from early, mid and late-career academics who have been asked to reflect upon their experiences – expect a lively start to the conference!
On Thursday 8th Professor Lynne Segal and Professor Dafna Lemish will give plenary presentations on age and aging, while the closing plenary on Friday 9th will address new technologies and media activism in the twenty-first century.
The conference venue is Northumbria University’s shiny new glass and steel development, City Campus East, a mere twenty-minute stroll from Newcastle Central train station, and across the road from Manors Metro station. All sessions take place on the ground floor ensuring ease of access. A range of lecture, seminar and screening rooms lead off from the large foyer area which will be set up for registration, publisher’s stands and refreshments. Evening entertainments will include a comedy event, as well as the traditional MeCCSA conference dinner at the Copthorne Hotel on 8th January. As a city, Newcastle is extremely easy to navigate and relatively compact, allowing delegates to enjoy the delights of the lively Quayside area or more bohemian attractions in the Ouseburn. Newcastle Airport serves a range of destinations in the UK and beyond, while the east coast rail service offers rapid transport from Edinburgh or London.
The conference website will be going live in the next few weeks, so expect an alert via the MeCCSA mailing lists, as well as the statutory reminders about the deadline for proposals. If you have any questions the conference team can be contacted via email at: ad.meccsa2015@northumbria.ac.uk
We are looking forward to reading your proposals. See you In Newcastle January 2015!
Call for Papers: MeCCSA 2015
MeCCSA CONFERENCE, 7-9 JANUARY 2015, NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY
THEME: GENERATIONS
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: 1 SEPTEMBER 2014
Colleagues – we are pleased to invite you to submit abstracts, panel proposals and posters for the 2015 MeCCSA conference which is being hosted by Northumbria University (Newcastle upon Tyne).
The conference theme is ‘Generations’, offering participants the opportunity to reflect upon historical and contemporary shifts in academic environments, theories, research approaches and trends, professional practice and the various ways in which the concept of generation/s informs diverse media and communication genres. Abstracts, panel proposals and posters on all topics within the broad scope of MeCCSA’s remit are, of course, also very welcome.
Confirmed plenary speakers: Professor Karen Boyle, Dr Ian Brown, Professor Bob Franklin, Dr Paulo Gerbaudo, Dr Donna Leishman, Professor Dafna Lemish, Professor Lynn Segal, Dr Ruth Sanz Sabido
Theme topics could include:
mediated age and ageing; generations of cultural theory and cultural theorists; generations of political approaches to media studies, for example: feminist and post-feminist; lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender and/or queer; Marxist and postmarxist; postmodernity and beyond; generations of technologies; generations of media practice and practices; generations of consumers and forms of consumption, for example: audiences for film, television and radio; social networking; an communities; online gaming; youth cultures; subcultures; children’s cultures; generations of media policy and policy-makers as the twenty-first century gets into its stride; generation and re-generation of objects, locations and stars through media representations or public policy; the challenges ahead for current and future generations of academics and researchers, for example, the future of journals and open-access publications; researching the digital environment.
PRACTICE GUIDELINES
We actively support the presentation of practice-as-research, in particular when there is insufficient time to present a complete work during parallel sessions. We are therefore providing a dedicated presentation space to display practice artefacts including screenings, computer-based and multi-screen work (where possible). For displaying practice work, please include specific technical data (eg duration, format) and an URL pointing to any support material when submitting your abstract.
PRIZES
A dedicated space will be provided for poster presentations and a Northumbria University prize will be awarded to the best poster. Two MeCCSA prizes for PGR activities will also be awarded: one for the best conference write-up (which will be published in the post-conference issue of Three-D) and the other for the most interesting and prolific conference tweeter, both awards to be judged by members of the MeCCSA PGN.
SUBMISSION
Individual abstracts of up to 250 words should be submitted as an attachment and emailed by 1 September 2014 to: ad.meccsa2015@northumbria.ac.uk. We also welcome panel proposals and these should include a short description and rationale (200 words) together with abstracts for each of the papers (150-200 words each including details of the contributor), together with the name and contact details of the panel proposer. The panel proposer should co-ordinate the submissions for that panel as a single proposal.
For papers and panels, don’t forget to include your contact details and paper/panel title. Please attach as a word document.
POSTGRADUATE BURSARIES
A small number of bursaries will be available for PhD students to present at the conference. Please indicate when you submit your abstract, if you would like to be considered for a bursary. We will provide details of the application process once the deadline for submitting abstracts has passed.
ENQUIRIES
For all enquires, please contact the organising team at:ad.meccsa2015@northumbria.ac.uk
We look forward to seeing you in Newcastle!