Call for contributions
10th International Visual Methods Conference
22-24 March 2027
Teesside University, Middlesbrough, UK
https://ivmc10.visualmethods.info/
Background
Teesside University, home to the Institute for Collective Place Leadership (ICPL) and MIMA (Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art), is thrilled to invite contributions to the 10th edition of the International Visual Methods Conference (IVMC27), hosted from 22-24 March 2027 in the vibrant, culturally diverse city of Middlesbrough, UK.
Since its inaugural event in 2009, the International Visual Methods Conference has developed a reputation as a leading interdisciplinary forum for researchers, artists, visual scholars, activists, practitioners and other professionals to engage in dialogue with one another.
Theme
The topic of this 10th edition is “People, Place, Narrative”. It foregrounds the entanglements of visuality, lived experience, and spatio-temporal narratives. Building on recent editions focused on bridging perspectives, transitions, and generational shifts, we will o foreground community-led visual methods, collaborative storytelling, and the politics of representation across urban, rural, and hybrid environments. This is an exciting opportunity to advance the field by exploring the intersection between decolonial, ecological, EDI and disability initiatives and participatory approaches to visual inquiry, drawing connections between people’s lived narratives and the places they inhabit and/or imagine.
We propose four tracks:
Imaginative and Innovative Places
Empowered and Inclusive Places
Sustainable and Resilient Places
Visual Methods: Collaborative Work and Practices at a Crossroads
Our 2027 conference will include a combination of keynote presentations, panels and papers, alongside workshops, screenings, exhibitions, and events. We invite contributions within and beyond academia from various disciplines and practices, including applied arts and design, visual anthropology, communication studies, computing, architecture, urban planning, disability arts and the social sciences, including social innovation. This list is not finite. . We are eager to encourage participation from those working collaboratively across these disciplines and others, and especially from community groups, practitioners, NGOs, who are interested in exploring the power of place-based visual narratives.
We are looking for proposals exploring any of these areas:
Visual arts
Visual research methods and design
Ethics in practice and research
Visual culture
Participatory art and visual methods
Community facing or community derived visual projects
Digital Storytelling
Film practice
Comics and cartoons
Curatorial practice
Data visualisation
Visual data analysis
3D modelling and photogrammetry
Contributions can be in the form of extended abstracts, papers, panel proposals, workshop proposals, and/or proposals for visual exhibitions, participatory work or creative activities. We are looking to build an eclectic programme with the widest possible range of contributions and interventions. Please feel free to contact the conference chairs at Teesside University to discuss proposal ideas.
Conference format
The conference will primarily take place on site, hosted by Teesside University, in Middlesbrough, UK, but online presentations will be supported both live and pre-recorded too.
Deadlines
23 March 2026 – Call for contributions opens
10 May 2026 – Deadline for abstracts submission
10 July 2026 – Notification of selected Proposals
14 September-30 November 2026 -Early-Bird Registration
11 January 2027- Draft programme
1 December 2026-28 February 2027 – Regular Registration
1-10 March 2027 – Late registration
15 March 2027 – Complete conference programme
22-24 March 2027 – Main event – International Visual Methods Conference
Submission procedures
All submissions must be made via this link: International Visual Methods Conference 2027 – Submission Form
Submissions for papers are to be made as abstracts, with a maximum of 300 words
For any enquiries, please contact ICPL@tees.ac.uk
Proposals for workshops, screenings, events, exhibitions or participatory work should be submitted as abstracts with links to supporting material (e.g. images, videos, previous work, special requirements)
All submissions will be reviewed by a panel of international and local experts.