On Mon, Oct 4, 2010 at 4:37 PM, The Attic <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Dear colleagues,
> Please find below a call for papers for a conference entitled
> 'Curioser&Curiouser', to be held at Leicester's School of Museum
> Studies in March next year. Feel free to distribute to anyone you know
> who may be interested - we look forward to hearing all about the
> strange, eccentric, weird and wonderful!
>

Curiouser and Curiouser:

Challenging Convention and Celebrating the Unusual in Museums and Heritage

A THREE-DAY Phd Symposium

School of Museum Studies, University of Leicester
(28TH -29TH -30TH of march 2011)

CALL FOR PAPERS

Definitions of what is acceptable within museums and collections are
changing, catalysed by the blurring of boundaries once enforced by
such factors as national identity, ethnicity, socio-economic position
and public and personal ideologies. Is what was once considered
bizarre or strange becoming more mainstream? What exactly is meant by
'curious' or 'eccentric', and need such words have pejorative
connotations?

Building upon the success of our last conference, ‘Materiality and
Intangibility: Contested Zones’, which took place in December 2009,
the PhD community in the School of Museum Studies at the University of
Leicester has set up 'Curiouser and Curiouser' with the intention of
exploring these ideas and challenging conventional perceptions of
cultural institutions and the roles which they play in contemporary
society.

The School of Museum Studies at Leicester is a leading and
internationally renowned centre for the subject, and has been training
museological practitioners and theorists since 1966. The School works
with museums, galleries and related cultural organisations
internationally to develop creative practice through cutting-edge
teaching and research. Recently, the School was assessed as having the
highest proportion of world-leading research in any subject in any UK
university (RAE 2008).

‘Curiouser and Curiouser’ sets out to deconstruct notions of normality
and eccentricity in museums and heritage institutions. What exactly is
normal, and what is idiosyncratic? In an attempt to begin to answer
some of these questions, we are inviting submissions for papers or
practical workshops on subjects including, but not limited to, the
following:

Interpretation
Eccentric: display strategies
education and learning strategies
visitor research and engagement
uses of display space
uses of media and technology in museums
research methods
events/ performances
portrayals of museums in other media
museological theories and paradigms
What is eccentric/idiosyncratic?
What is acceptable, and who decides?

Collections, Collecting and Collectors
Eccentric/idiosyncratic collections/objects
collectors
collecting methods
Intangible heritage and its retrieval
Historical interpretations of collecting, and how what is acceptable has changed
The value of collections, what is worth collecting and why?

Spaces and Places
Eccentric/idiosyncratic architecture, both deliberately designed and
unusually used environment and surroundings
Physical compared to virtual collections
Displays in unexpected places
Transformations of spaces

Presentation Requirements
‘Curiouser and Curiouser’ is not only about the unusual and the new,
the unconventional and cutting-edge in museums and heritage sites. We
are also looking for submissions from those who are willing to
experiment with original presentation strategies. As a result,
preference will be given to presentations or practical workshops
delivered in an innovative way. Some suggestions might be:
Film
Practical Demonstration
Object Handling
Interpretive Dance
Art Installation
Poetry/Creative Writing
Music

If an abstract is accepted for the Symposium, applicants will be asked
to provide further details on the ways their presentation or workshop
will be delivered. At the end of the Symposium, the most enjoyable
presentation will be voted on by the delegates and the winner will
receive a prize. In addition, a limited number of bursaries will be
offered to delegates who do not have support available from their
institution of affiliation. Though the bursaries are open to anyone,
international applications are particularly encouraged. Further
information on how to apply for the bursary will be available soon on
‘the Attic’ website (http://attic-museumstudies.blogspot.com/), the
virtual home of the PhD students of the School Studies.

We welcome submissions from researchers working in the fields of
museum studies, cultural studies and allied subjects, but we
especially encourage responses from PhD students and early career
researchers. Submissions will be accepted for presentations (20
minutes plus 10 minutes Q&A) and practical workshops (between 30 and
60 minutes). We hope to publish - in some form, yet to be determined -
the best selected papers accepted for and presented at the Symposium.
All papers will be eligible for publication.

DEADLINES: 300 words abstracts must be submitted via email or post by
the 15th of November 2010 to the addresses detailed provided below.
The abstract should contain the following information: a) author(s),
b) affiliation, c) email address, d) title of abstract, e) body of
abstract, (including the intended nature of your presentational form)
d) 3-4 keywords.
Successful applicants will be notified by the 22nd of December 2010,
and asked to supply further details about the nature of their paper.
Booking details for delegates will be sent out in January 2011.

PLEASE CONTACT: Julia Petrov (on behalf of Museobunny)
- via e-mail: [log in to unmask]
or
- via post: School of Museum Studies

University of Leicester

Museum Studies Building

19 University Road

Leicester LE1 7RF

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