CFP: Monsters, Aug 2019 in Lisbon

This inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary conference seeks to investigate and explore the enduring influence and imagery of monsters and the monstrous on human culture throughout history. In particular, the project will have a dual focus with the intention of examining specific ‘monsters’ as well as assessing the role, function and consequences of persons, actions or events identified as ‘monstrous’. The history and contemporary cultural influences of monsters and monstrous metaphors will also be examined with a view to forming a selective publication to engender further collaboration and discussion.

Consistent with its inter-disciplinary ethos, the event proposes to step outside the traditional conference setting and offer opportunities for artists, photographers, practitioners, theorists, independent scholars, academics, performers, writers, and others to intermingle, providing platforms for interdisciplinary interactions that are fruitful and conducive to broadening horizons and sparking future projects, collaborations, and connections.

The organisers welcome proposals for presentations, displays, exhibits, round tables, panels, interactive workshops and other activities to stimulate engagement and discussion on any aspect of the interplay between monsters, monstrosities, and the monstrous, particularly in relation to  any of the following themes:

• The “monster” through history
• Civilization, monsters and the monstrous
• Children, childhood, stories and monsters; monsters and parents
• Comedy: funny monsters and/or making fun of monsters (e.g. Monsters Inc, the Addams Family)
• Making monsters; monstrous births
• Mutants and mutations
• Technologies of the monstrous
• Horror, fear and scare
• Do monsters kill because they are monstrous or are they monstrous because they kill?
• How critical to the definition of “monster” is death or the threat of death?
• Human ‘monsters’ and ‘monstrous’ acts? e.g, perverts, paedophiles and serial killers
• The monstrous and gender
• Revolution and monsters; the monstrous and politics; enemies (political/social/military) and monsters
• Iconography of the monstrous
• The popularity of the modern monsters; the Mummy, Dracula, Frankenstein, Vampires, Hannibal
• The monster in literature
• The monstrous in popular culture: film, television, theatre, radio, print, internet
• The monstrous and journalism
• Religious depictions of the monstrous; the monstrous and the supernatural
• Metaphors and the monstrous
• The monstrous and war, war reportage / propaganda

Papers will also be accepted which deal solely with specific monsters.

What to Send
 The aim of this 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.

300 word proposals, presentations, abstracts and other forms of contribution and participation should be submitted by Friday 8th March 2019. Other forms of participation should be discussed in advance with the Organising Chair.

All submissions will be minimally double reviewed, under anonymous (blind) conditions, by a global panel drawn from members of the Project 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 22nd March 2019.

If your submission is accepted for the conference, a full draft of your contribution should be submitted by Friday 12th July 2019.

Abstracts and proposals may be in Word, PDF, 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) body of proposal, f) up to 10 keywords.

E-mails should be entitled: Monsters Submission.

Early Bird Submission and Discount
Submissions received on or before Friday 8th February 2019 will be eligible for a 10% registration fee discount.

Where to Send
Abstracts should be submitted simultaneously to the Organising Chair and the Project Administrator:

Dr Cristina Santos: csantos@brocku.ca
Project Administrator: lisbonmonsters@progressiveconnexions.net

Monsters
An Inclusive Interdisciplinary Project
Saturday 31st August 2019 – Sunday 1st September 2019
Lisbon, Portugal

Source: http://www.progressiveconnexions.net/interdisciplinary-projects/evil/monsters/conferences/