[grc] Fwd: Media Activism Conference May 2016 Ontario - Call for Proposals

[Frieda Werden]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Carolin Huang <chuang4 at lakeheadu.ca>
Date: Fri, Dec 4, 2015 at 3:58 PM
Subject: Media Activism Conference May 2016 Ontario - Call for Proposals
To: Carolin Huang <chuang4 at lakeheadu.ca>


*Call for Proposals*

*Media Activism Research Conference**:*

*A Gathering for Grassroots and Transformative Media*

May  12-15, 2016

Lakehead  University, Orillia, Ontario, Canada
*Deadline for proposals Jan 15, 2016*

Mark your calendars! The Media Action Research Group (MARG) is organizing
the Media Activism Research Conference (MARC), in Orillia, Ontario, Canada
from May 12 – 15, 2016 and we want to see you there! The Conference will
bring together researchers, activists, students, and community members
interested in strengthening grassroots media through networking, knowledge
sharing, and skill-sharing.

MARC is an opportunity to develop collaborations and networks among
anti-capitalist, feminist, anti-racist, trans, queer and Indigenous
alternative media activists and activist-researchers by  sharing knowledge,
skills and experiences on grassroots and transformative alternative media.
How do media activists intervene against dominant media voices? How do
women, people of colour, queer, trans and indigenous activists work to
resist dominant discourses in media and to report on and support social
movements? How do we practice anti-oppression politics to challenge power
dynamics in some alternative media spaces? How do we develop capacities,
build skills, and share or access resources in our communities of
resistance? How do researcher-activists challenge dominant modes, methods
and theories in order to engage with community and alternative media
activism and activists in ways that amplify and support their/our work?

The conference will emphasize knowledge co-production, reflection,
collaboration, creativity, and the development of theoretical frameworks
derived from practice and experience. It will explore autonomous,
grassroots media production practices and voices typically excluded from
mainstream media, across a range of genres including: community radio,
zines, video activism, print media, online media, digital media,
documentary film and video, hacktivism, media art, graffiti, podcasts,
silkscreening, banners, blogs, and more. There will also be theme-based
workshops on current activist campaigns allowing for participants to
network, share knowledge and information, and collaborate across platforms
and genres on the same topic.

We will be organizing a pop-up art show on the last night of the
conference, where participants can bring their media and art to showcase
it, and we will also be showing any media work created during the
conference.

We encourage workshops to be participatory and interactive, and we are open
to any and all formats, particularly those that disrupt or challenge the
typical academic conference format. A computer lab is available for
skill-shares requiring online access, and various technologies may be
used–just let us know what you need.

We are inviting proposals for workshops on the following topics, and more:

   - Video activism
   - Community radio, soundscapes, podcasts
   - Print media
   - Collective dynamics in media production
   - Feminist media, Sexuality and gender
   - Anti-racist and anti-colonial media
   - Queer and trans media
   - Online activism, hacktivism
   - Anti-capitalist & Anarchist media and culture
   - Protest media, Social movement media
   - Culture jamming, Politics of graffiti
   - Activist research in media & communication studies
   - Media arts and research creation
   - Media skill-sharing
   - Tar sands & pipeline activism in media
   - Missing and murdered Indigenous women in media
   - Police brutality and impunity in media
   - Sex work activism in media

*Proposals* should be 250-300 words in length, describing the content and
format of your workshop. You should also include a short bio of 50-75 words
of each person presenting or facilitating the workshop. The *deadline for
proposals is January 15, 2016*, and notifications of acceptance will be
sent out mid-February. Please submit proposals to:
info at mediaactionresearch.org

Our goal is to make the conference an accessible space and to facilitate
the participation of anyone who would like to attend. The university is
accessible to those with mobility needs, and accessible rooms are available
in the residence. Please contact us if you wish to discuss accessibility
needs. Travel subsidies are available to those with financial need. Food
will be provided throughout the conference, and dietary preferences will be
accommodated. Registration fees will be on a  sliding scale with reduced
rates for students, under-employed and unemployed people, and early-bird
rates. Parking passes will be provided and we encourage carpooling. We are
committed to co-creating a zero waste conference.

Accommodation will be available at a reduced rate at the university
residence, or in local hotels. Camping is available at the nearby Bass Lake
Provincial Park. Some limited billeting in local homes may also be possible.

Orillia ON is about 125km north of Toronto in the heart of cottage country.
There will be opportunities for outdoor activities such as canoeing or
kayaking, collaborative sports, hiking, etc.

For more information, check out:
mediaactionresearch.org/event/summer-gathering/
or email us at: info at mediaactionresearch.org

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1050712928293630/