Dance Studies Association, Society for Dance Research and The Place

Call for Papers

New mobilities “on the turn”?

Friday, 8 September 2023

Host: The Place (London, UK) & Society for Dance Research

Co-Chairs, Programming and Local Organization Committees: Lise Uytterhoeven, Efrosini Protopapa, Tom Hastings, Martin Hargreaves, and Thea Stanton

A quarter of a century after the ‘mobile turn’ in anthropology, cultural studies, geography, migration studies and sociology, this symposium sets out to explore the limitations of/to mobility in the current historical moment. The phrase ‘…on the turn’ speaks both to mobility as a paradigm across the humanities being in a state of change, and to mobility and its promises turning sour, giving way to critiques and a leaning into mobility’s limitations. In London, for instance, this question manifests itself in response to the impact of Covid-19 lockdowns, the full implementation of Brexit, the increasing unease with the environmental impacts of travel and the changes in arts and education policies towards disability and social mobility issues. We propose to question how dance and performance studies might speak to the various mobilizations of movement as it encounters pandemics, wars, migration, and border controls. Hence, this event seeks to bring together voices from within and beyond the disciplinary boundaries of dance and performance, through conversations and interventions.

Proposal Submissions

Accepted sessions will be expected to present virtually. Onsite events will include livestreamed plenaries, performances, and workshops for a primarily local audience. Proposed presentations may take the form of papers, panels, roundtable discussions, lecture-demonstrations, movement workshops, dance works using indoor or outdoor sites, and screendances. Papers that are pre-grouped into panels are encouraged and have higher likelihood of acceptance. Individual papers will be grouped into panels by the program committee. Submission portal will be open April 4, 2023, through May 25, 2023.

Submit your proposal via their website here.