The International Visual Methods Conference (IVMC) is an interdisciplinary conference bringing visual academics, researchers and practitioners together. Held every two years, the IVMC seeks to foster greater dialogue in the area of visual methods, in both theoretical and practical aspects.
Visual methods use a variety of visual tools (images, maps, drawings, graphic novels, photos, films, videos, etc.) to communicate complex concepts. These tools are generated through participatory activities, research and planning activities or even through using already existing visual materials in an original way.
The topic of this 10th edition is “People, Place, Narrative”. It foregrounds the entanglements of visuality, lived experience, and spatio-temporal narratives.
Co-chairs of IVMC27 are Professor Antonia Liguori, Professor of Participatory Storytelling and Co-Director of the Institute for Collective Place Leadership at Teesside University, and Dr Sally Blackburn-Daniels, AHRC Impact Acceleration Account Research Fellow at the same institution.
About Teesside University
Teesside University is a dynamic and modern institution, dedicated to delivering opportunity and providing a high-quality higher education learning environment, offering innovative courses taught by committed and passionate staff.
Awarded Times Higher Education University of the Year 2025 and Daily Mail Modern University of the Year 2026, Teesside University is recognised for its transformative teaching, bold innovation, and life-changing impact.
As a driver of economic growth, directly and through its partnerships, Teesside University transforms lives and economies. It’s an engine of opportunity and social mobility; serving its communities and playing a vital role as an anchor institution within the Tees Valley.
With triple Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework, Ofsted Outstanding for apprenticeships, and a mission to widen access to higher education, Teesside is setting a new standard for what a modern university can achieve.
The Institute for Collective Place Leadership undertakes place-based research to support regional growth, development and regeneration through creative and collaborative approaches that brings together policymakers, communities, businesses and academics.
Its research equips place-based leaders with the tools, skills and knowledge to operate in complex and changing environments, to develop responsible and sustainable practices, and to imagine alternative and inclusive futures.
MIMA operates at the heart of Middlesbrough’s thriving visual arts scene and serves as a global hub for contemporary art and cultural innovation.
A catalyst for social and economic development, MIMA’s work to centre artists within communities has encouraged more young artists to remain in the region, while it also acts as a creative magnet, encouraging artists to choose Middlesbrough as their base.
