Call for papers. Fast Forward: Women in Photography – Lithuanian Edition

February 23, 2017
Author Echo Gone Wrong
Published in Calls from Lithuania

Rabbit-2013-Geiste-M-Kincinaityte-768x513Call for papers: 

Fast Forward: Women in Photography – Lithuanian Edition

3 4 November, 2017

National Gallery of Art, Vilnius, Lithuania

Building on the success of the Fast Forward conference at Tate Modern in 2015, co-organised by Tate, University for the Creative Arts (UCA) and Photography along with the Archive Research Centre (PARC) at University for the Arts London, Lithuanian Photographers Association announces the 2nd edition of the Fast Forward conference in collaboration with UCA and UAL/PARC to take place at the National Gallery of Art in Vilnius.

Photography has been a political tool as well as a means of artistic expression. Women have used it in various ways including discussions around their rights, their economic and social insecurity, and their representation in culture and society. Through studying women photographers’ lives, celebrating their creative achievements and contribution to international photographic history, we can discover important insights and inspiration for current issues and discussions generated by global political forces, and also become aware of the obstacles women photographers have to overcome as they have pursued their work.

We are interested in papers which span the entire history of photography, from the 19th century to the present day, which also encompass photography’s different methodologies, from art practice to commercial /industrial work.

One of the foci of this Fast Forward edition is to enable opportunities for researchers to present to an international audience new knowledge about the role of women photographers in the cultural, social and political life of the Baltic States and Eastern Europe – which have a rich academic discourse and vibrant artistic culture combining specific national features with particular local experiences and Western ideas.

We are also interested to present research into, as well as practitioner accounts of, the experiences of women photographers in parts of the world that are as yet unfamiliar within a US/European photo historical context. We welcome proposals for artist-led presentations and panels.

In this conference in Lithuania, we aim to bring international and regional researchers together in order to share knowledge and consider our potential relationships and networks. This 2nd edition of the Fast Forward conference aims to embrace and celebrate the contributions of women photographers to both art and commerce, regionally and globally, and to engage in pertinent debate that will influence new academic discourse and provide further context for the study and practice of photography.

This conference has a special interest in women photographers from the Baltic States, but is not limited to this region. We also welcome abstracts which explore women’s photography throughout the world and across history, and which provide insight into the breadth and complexity of women’s history within photography as practitioners, curators, writers or organizers.

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

New knowledge about little known histories and forgotten names.

Discussions about networks and collaborations since the invention of the medium until today.

Explorations of how technologies have influenced women practitioners, past and present.

Research on both commercial and art practices that women have developed within the medium of photography from the 19th century to the present.

Activism and socially engaged photo practices initiated by women.

Diverse identities coming out through photography.

The photographic imprint on other artistic media and its use by online communities.

Debates about new conceptualisations of the medium from the perspective of women photographers.

Researchers are invited to explore conceptual, technical and/or stylistic links connecting women photographers in the Baltic region and internationally.

The conference is organised by Lithuanian Photographers Association and Vitas Luckus Photography Centre in collaboration with The University for the Creative Arts and UAL Photography and the Archive Research Centre (PARC) at London College of Communication, University of the Arts, London and with the support of the National Gallery of Art in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Submission of the papers as follows:

8 April 2017 – submit 500 word abstract for the peer-review

7 May 2017 – successful applicants will be notified

15 October – full paper is required

The abstracts must be submitted in English only, although the papers could be presented at the conference in Lithuanian or English, which will be the working languages of the conference.

Please submit the abstracts as a Word document only with your full name, the name of the organisation you represent (if relevant) and the title — all placed at the top of the first page. The file should not exceed 1MB. Please email submissions or enquiries to:

fastforward@ucreative.ac.uk with the subject “Lithuanian Edition – submission”.

More information: http://fastforward.photography/our-projects/lithuanian-edition/