Bodies of all kinds surround us. Glamorous bodies, modified bodies, healthy or unhealthy bodies, engineered bodies, trafficked bodies, in/visible bodies, dismembered bodies, persecuted bodies—ubiquitous and ever-present, we cannot help but notice them. But how do understand them? Through stories. Both fiction and non-fiction stories shape our understanding of what constitutes a/the body in the first place, and then create norms about how a body should look, behave, experience the world and even how bodies should interact with each other. Further, stories shape our perceptions of what constitutes deviant, abject, non-normative, frightening or otherwise undesirable bodies.

The concept of the body itself has had a significant impact on the stories cultures have created and passed down through generations. Suffering bodies are central to the foundational narratives of various religious, cultural and political traditions. Monstrous bodies, sexual and erotic bodies, bodies at war, modified bodies, bodies coming of age and ageing, bodies being tested by nature, bodies enhanced by (bio)technology, politicised bodies and more, all are core to respective story genres.

Telling stories about the body is therefore loaded with ideological, political, sociological, theological, ontological and aesthetic implications. At a time when the world’s socio-political landscape is dominated by the construction of barriers between people based on race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation and class, it is more important than ever to consider how stories about bodies, and the perception of bodies shaped by stories, not only foster division and difference but also inspire cohesion and belonging. And while stories can create both tangible and intangible barriers between human beings, they can also foster awareness and compassion for our common humanity.

Various disciplines, practices and professions have inscribed stories and bodies with particular meanings that, when viewed in isolation, can be skewed and limiting. Accordingly, our project aims to emphasise inclusivity, dialogue and collegiality. Building on our first two exceedingly successful, inclusive interdisciplinary events, Storytelling and the Body seeks to explore the complex, multi-faceted dynamics of this symbiotic relationship between storytelling and the body.

We 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. Storytelling and the Body works with a view to generating and supporting dialogue, and creating a publication to engender further collaboration and discussion.

Key Topics
Our second global inclusive interdisciplinary conference welcomes 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 stories and bodies. Subject to the presentations and discussions which take place at the meeting, there is a possibility for a selective publication to emerge with the aim of engendering further interdisciplinary collaboration and discussion.

Key topics, themes and issues for discussion may include, but are definitely not limited to:

Non-human bodies  |  AI / robotic bodies  |  Post-human bodies  |  Monstrous bodies  |  Bodies and donation of parts  |  Body art: implants, painting, piercings, tattoos, scarification, sculpting, shaping  |  Body modifications/mutilations  |  Trafficked bodies  |  Body taboos

Bodies and - 
~ The law, jurisprudence and public policy;
~ Morality and ethics;
~ Business/economics;
~ Education;
~ Religion and spirituality;
~ Labour/human capital;
~ Medicine, health and wellness;
~ Science and technology;
~ Activism, protests;
~ Social media;
~ Film and television;
~ Theatre;
~ Literature;
~ Music;
~ Fine Art;
~ Sport;
~ Popular culture;

Please also feel free to suggest your own topic where bodies and stories intersect. We look forward to hearing from you.

What To Send
The aim of this inclusive 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, problem-solving sessions, case studies, panels, q&a’s, round-tables etc. Creative responses to the subject, such as poetry/prose, short film screenings/original drama, installations and alternative presentation styles that engage the audience and foster debate are particularly encouraged. Please feel free to put forward proposals that you think will get the message across, in whatever form.

At the end of the conference we will be exploring ways in which we can develop the discussions and dialogues in new and sustainable inclusive interdisciplinary directions, including research, workshops, publications, public interest days, associations, developing courses etc which will help us make sense of the topics discussed during the meeting. There is an intention, subject to the discussions which emerge during the course of the meeting, to form a selective innovative interdisciplinary publication to engender further research and collaboration.

300 word proposals, presentations, abstracts and other forms of contribution and participation should be submitted by Friday 4th September 2020. Other forms of participation should be discussed in advance with the Organising Chairs.

All submissions will be at least double reviewed, under anonymous (blind) conditions, by a global panel drawn from members of the Project Team, The 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 18th September 2020.

If your submission is accepted for the conference, a full draft of your contribution should be submitted by Friday 15th January 2021.

Abstracts and proposals may be in Word, 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) type of proposal e.g. paper presentation, workshop, panel, film, performance, etc, f) body of proposal, g) up to 10 keywords.

E-mails should be entitled: Storytelling 2 Submission

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

Teresa Cutler-Broyles: teresa@progressiveconnexions.net
Len Capuli (Project Administrator): bratislavastories@progressiveconnexions.net

What’s so Special About a Progressive Connexions Event?
A fresh, friendly, dynamic format – at Progressive Connexions we are dedicated to breaking away from the stuffy, old-fashioned conference formats, where endless presentations are read aloud off PowerPoints. We work to bring you an interactive format, where exchange of experience and information is alternated with captivating workshops, engaging debates and round tables, time set aside for getting to know each other and for discussing common future projects and initiatives, all in a warm, relaxed, egalitarian atmosphere.

A chance to network with international professionals – the beauty of our interdisciplinary events is that they bring together professionals from all over the world and from various fields of activity, all joined together by a shared passion. Not only will the exchange of experience, knowledge and stories be extremely valuable in itself, but we seek to create lasting, ever-growing communities around our projects, which will become a valuable resource for those belonging to them.

A chance to be part of constructing change – There is only one thing we love as much as promoting knowledge: promoting real, lasting social change by encouraging our participants to take collective action, under whichever form is most suited to their needs and expertise (policy proposals, measuring instruments, research projects, educational materials, etc.) We will support all such actions in the aftermath of the event as well, providing a platform for further discussions, advice from the experts on our Project Advisory Team and various other tools and intellectual resources, as needed.

An opportunity to discuss things that matter to you – Our events are not only about discussing how things work in the respective field, but also about how people work in that field – what are the struggles, problems and solutions professionals have found in their line of work, what are the areas where better communication among specialists is needed and how the interdisciplinary approach can help bridge those gaps and help provide answers to questions from specific areas of activity.

An unforgettable experience – When participating in a Progressive Connexions event, there is a good chance you will make some long-time friends. Our group sizes are intimate, our venues are comfortable and relaxing and our event locations are suited to the history and culture of the event.

Ethos
Progressive Connexions believes it is a mark of personal courtesy and professional respect to your colleagues that all delegates should attend for the full duration of the meeting. If you are unable to make this commitment, please do not submit an abstract or proposal for presentation.

Please note: Progressive Connexions is a not-for-profit network and we are not in a position to be able to assist with conference travel or subsistence, nor can we offer discounts off published rates and fees.

Please direct all enquiries to: bratislavastories@progressiveconnexions.net

For further details and information please visit the conference web page: http://www.progressiveconnexions.net/interdisciplinary-projects/storytelling/storytelling-and-the-body/conferences/

Sponsored by: Progressive Connexions