"Challenging Times": LCAHM Conference 2025

The School of Languages, Cultures, Art History and Music is pleased to announce a call for papers for the forthcoming PGR-led conference, “Challenging Times,” to be held at the University of Birmingham and online on May 21, 2025.

Climate change, war, rapid technological advancements, and clashing ideologies are reshaping our world, presenting us with profound and multifaceted challenges. Global warming is impacting and shaping lives and societies worldwide; the outbreak and escalation of global conflicts, resulting in profound losses and changes, continue to shape political issues; technological developments such as the rise of AI software have prompted discussions on their ethical implications, as well as questions of authorship and artistic originality; while longstanding discourses on race, cultural diversity, and gender equality retain their importance even as the sociopolitical landscapes evolve around them. What is the role of arts and humanities in relation to these challenges?  

The term “challenging” carries a dual meaning: while it can signify a state of being tested or strained, it can also imply an active process of questioning, resisting, and transforming. This duality invites us to reflect not only on the difficulties humanity has faced—whether contemporary or historical—but also on the diverse ways in which individuals, communities, and societies have risen to meet these trials. The theme for this year’s LCAHM conference seeks to inspire a broad and interdisciplinary exploration of how challenges have been experienced, understood, and addressed across cultures and epochs. 

We welcome submissions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes: 

• Artistic, literary, and musical expressions of dissent and global narratives of resistance.
• The interrelation of the aesthetic and the ethical in contesting, driving, or shaping global, local, ecological, social, political, and other forms of change.
• The role of creative works in critiquing power structures and mobilizing communities.
• Personal, collective, and cultural responses to conflict, displacement, and grief.
• The intersection of gender, race and class in shaping experiences of and responses to systemic inequality.
• The role of museums and cultural heritage in an era of rapid change.
• The interplay between technological innovation and ethical responsibility in addressing pressing global issues.

Submission guidelines

We invite submissions for individual papers (20 minutes in length). Abstracts should be no longer than 300 words, accompanied by a brief academic biography (50-100 words). 

Please submit your proposals via this form by Monday 24 March 2025. Notifications of acceptance will be sent by Monday 21 April 2025.  

The conference will be held at the University of Birmingham and online. We welcome both in-person and online presenters and attendees! 

Conference Committee: Xinbei Wang (Modern Languages), Ellis Khachidze (Modern Languages), Becky Smith (AHCVS), Linzi Yang (Music), Jacob Dodd (Modern Languages), You Zhou (Modern Languages)