CALL FOR PAPERS Meeting Points: Imagination and Spaces for Social Change

 

August 26-27, 2019, 
Saint Paul University

* New extended submission deadline: May 6, 2019 *

 

Meeting Points: Imagination and Spaces for Social Change is an interdisciplinary conference aiming to create opportunities for meaningful exchanges between academics, practitioners and the community. Creative solutions involving multiple stakeholders are needed today to respond to growing tensions in communities and social constituencies around issues such as inclusion, representation and sustainable engagement with "the commons" (Sabbagh and Schmitt, 2016).

Bridging reflection and action to design creative solutions calls for holistic worldviews, engaged leadership and a platform to learn from experiences. The objective of this conference is to offer such a platform. We therefore invite contributions on imagination and spaces that help inform the possibilities for creative engagement and meaningful connections leading to constructive social change. We particularly welcome contributions that address the following themes:

Imagination and Social Change

Spaces and Social Change

In the spirit of creative interdisciplinarity, sessions will include both paper presentations and experiential, participatory workshops. The conference will also dedicate time and a shared space for collective brainstorming informed by the themes of imagination and spaces, as well as by the insight emerging from the sessions.

Keynote Speakers

Dr. Alexandra Fidyk, University of Alberta

Dr. Elizabeth Jackson, Institute for Community Engaged Scholarship, University of Guelph

Martin Rutte, Project Heaven on Earth

Dr. Jesse Stewart, Carleton University

 

Download the Call for Papers 

 

Submission Guidelines

Paper presentations

Paper presentation sessions will allocate 15 minutes to each presenter followed by a Q&A with participants. Presenters can use PowerPoint, a poster format or other creative formats (please contact the organizers for specific details on possible formats).

Submit an abstract (500 words excluding references) indicating clearly how your paper connects with the themes of the conference outlined above.

Experiential workshops

Experiential workshops are designed to enable participants to explore dimensions of imaginative and creative practices and thus gain insight into the intrinsic connections between reflection and action. Academics, practitioners and community members are all social agents whose inner lives are major contributors to constructive social change. These participatory sessions provide opportunities to understand differently and more intimately some of the practices we teach, research and advocate for. The capability to step outside of the habitual to enter a new imaginative space opens new possibilities and new learning.

Workshops consist of 90-minute sessions and must be designed around exploratory and embodied processes. They need to incorporate an aspect of space and imagination and be grounded in a reflection on social and/or community dynamics. They may be built around a variety of outputs (e.g., artefact making, improvisation exercises, meditative explorations, sonic experiences).

Submit an outline of the proposed workshop (approximately 1,000 words, excluding references) explaining the purpose and sequence of activities, the expected outputs (including material required, if any), any limitations or special considerations for participants, as well as how your proposal addresses the themes of the conference outlined above. 

Submission Deadline

Email your proposal to PSTLS@ustpaul.ca by May 6, 2019. Please include ‘Meeting Points Conference’ in the subject line of your email.

We will confirm acceptance or otherwise by May 15, 2019.  

Registration Information

Registration will open on May 15, 2019, until August 12, 2019. Registration and payment of fees is completed online and details will be posted on this page in due course.

Registration fees for both days of the conference include two lunches and one evening meal:

Regular rate CAD 230
Graduate student rate CAD 120

Three graduate student bursaries covering the registration fees are available. To be considered for a bursary, graduate students need to submit a one-page cover letter alongside their paper or workshop proposal outlining their current position and research project, and explaining why they believe attending this conference will help them in their research.

Accommodation and Travel Information

The conference is hosted by the Providence School of Transformative Leadership and Spirituality at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Ontario. Situated in the Old Ottawa East area of the city (223 Main Street), the campus is accessible by bus from downtown (Rideau Centre: Route 5 towards Billings Bridge, http://www.octranspo.com/index.php/). Paid parking is available on site or nearby.

Accommodation needs to be arranged by participants separately. Please note that the conference will run from Monday morning to Tuesday late afternoon. Below are some suggestions:

Budget option

Attendees may wish to stay at the Saint Paul Residence, which is next door to the main building hosting the conference (https://saintpaulresidence.ca/your-room/). We have reserved a block of rooms specifically for the conference and these rooms will be guaranteed until June 25th. After then, you may still contact the Residence to enquire about availabilities but we cannot guarantee space.

Please note the accommodation details for staying at the Residence:

Accommodation is provided as a two-bed suite. A suite consists of two spacious independent guest bedrooms, each with a double bed and a desk. The two bedrooms share a bathroom with shower, a kitchenette complete with sink, microwave and fridge and internet access.
The cost of a suite per night is $120 plus tax per night. If you wish to share a suite with a fellow attendee, the cost will then become $60 plus tax per night, providing there is double occupancy.

If you want to book a suite or a room in a suite, please contact us at PSTLS@ustpaul.ca before June 25th and indicate the following information in your message:

Please note that we may not be able to pair up every attendee to share cost. In this circumstance, you will be charged the full rate of $120 plus tax per night.

 

Other options

 

Conference Organizers

For questions regarding the conference, email the organizers:

Dr. Cécile Rozuel                                crozuel@ustpaul.ca

Dr. Lauren Michelle Levesque           llevesque@ustpaul.ca