CAF - Comics, Activism, Feminisms
Conference at the University of Gothenburg, 17-19 August 2022.
Call for proposals
The deadline to submit proposals is April 22, 2022.
Decisions of acceptance will be sent by 9 May, 2022.
We invite scholars, students, artists, and other professionals working with comic art to an international conference on comics, activism and feminisms (CAF), as these are practiced around the world. Feminist comic art and graphic narratives emerged with the second-wave feminist movements; today there are comics connected to social activist movements working for change in a variety of areas.
The CAF conference aims to explore, on the one hand, how comic art, activism and feminisms are intertwined from both historic and contemporary perspectives, and on the other hand, how comic art in itself can be a form of activism. In addition to paper presentations, the conference will feature a panel discussion with a selection of Swedish comic artists and an exhibition of Swedish feminist comic art at Gothenburg University Library.
Theoretical, conceptual, or empirical papers from a wide range of disciplines or interdisciplinary approaches are invited, and may relate to the overall theme of comic art, activism and feminisms by addressing such questions as the following, but other approaches are welcome:
- How can the comics medium be used to express
- feminist politics thematically, visually and linguistically?
- How can the form and content of comics be activist in themselves?
- How can comics participate in activist and/or social justice movements such as
- women’s liberation, #metoo, LGBTQIA+, anti-racism, decolonial, climate,
- or disability movements?
- How can comics activism be connected to comic networks and other fora?
- Where and how are activist comics dispersed?
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Dr. Nicola Streeten (Director LDComics CIC)
Professor Rebecca Scherr (Oslo University)
Professor Mia Liinason (Lund University)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Generally, conference sessions will consist of participants’ individual 20-minute presentations plus 10 minutes of discussion. However, alternative forms of participation, such as panels or roundtables, are possible.
We welcome contributions from academics, artists, and other professionals interested in comics and comic art. Please submit your proposal (max 300 words) and a short bio (max 100 words) to the organizers at caf@lir.gu.se. If you would like to attend the symposium without presenting, please email a short bio and some information about your interest in participating.
The deadline to submit proposals is April 22, 2022. Decisions of acceptance will be sent by 9 May, 2022.
Organizing committee
University of Gothenburg
The research project “Feminist Swedish Comics as Medium for Political Activism and Critique”
Anna Nordenstam (anna.nordenstam@lir.gu.se)
Kristy Beers Fägersten (kristy.beers.fagersten@sh.se)
Mike Classon Frangos (mike.classon.frangos@lnu.se)
Maria Margareta Österholm (maria.margareta.osterholm@gender.su.se)
Margareta Wallin Wictorin (margareta.wallin-wictorin@kau.se)
