“outcasts: THEORIES AND PRACTICES” is a multidisciplinary event that aims to showcase the contemporary artistic productions of traditionally unrepresented and segregated individuals and communities, focusing mainly on media such as cinema, photography, comics/graphic novels, and video games. The irreverent choice of the title “outcasts” is part of a long-standing practice of verbally reappropriating negative terms (queer, crip, etc.) in order to exemplify the tension between induced marginalization and the rehabilitation of spaces.

This project aims to reflect on the marginalization of non-conforming subjects and how they have been able to inhabit the liminal space to develop radical resistance, leading to a paradigmatic representation of the oppression constantly endured. As perfectly exemplified by bell hooks, “Living as we did on the edge we developed a particular way of seeing reality. We looked both from the outside in and from the inside out". (hooks, 1984) [1984, now 2015 Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center, New York: Routledge]. This conference effectively aims to bring the margins to the center of discourse, in line with the studies and desires of those who have been and continue to be forced to inhabit these margins. It presents itself as a platform to give voice to those who are usually silenced in academic contexts.

The events linked to the conference will take a variety of forms, including (but not limited to) film screenings and performances, to complement the theoretical reflection provided by the conference framework. The main aim is to promote different forms of cultural affirmation inside and outside academia, in order to blur these boundaries.Starting from the premise that the experiences of these elements are multifaceted and complex, we argue that their self-representation can have a pedagogical and empathetic impact on society as a whole, positively influencing the way they are remembered and understood. Arguably, racial, LGBTQIA+, disabled or neurodiverse minorities, among others, have long lacked active agency regarding their representation, not only in the media, but also in academia. A clear paradigm is the lack of an established and consolidated curriculum in gender, queer or decolonizing studies in many countries, and its subsequent transposition into the public sphere.

What does diversity mean to us? Can our ethical values overcome racial and gender barriers through media representation? Through these questions, we decided not only to exhibit the representational works of artists using recorded and interactive media, but also to delve into the perspectives of practitioners and plan this project in order to examine, discuss and predict the context of diversity in today's society.

The should include a paper title, extended abstract in English, or Portuguese (maximum 400 words), name, e-mail address, institutional affiliation and a brief bio (max. 100 words) mentioning ongoing research. Applicants will be informed of the result of their submissions as soon as possible.

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The topics of interest include, but are not limited to: 

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• Representation of marginalized communities, through film, new-media, photography, game-creation and performance art  

• The social role of media depictions of marginalized communities 

• Ethics and good practices in documenting diversity within the larger community 

• The agency of marginalized individuals and minorities in their self-representation through media 

• The role of post-memory and social memory within marginalized groups 

• The pedagogical and empathetic potential of depictions of trauma and memory in education and society inclusion 

• New paradigms in media representation of marginalized communities 

• Confluence between media representation and activism in marginalized communities

Supplementary submission materials, such as video clips, are encouraged but not mandatory. Contact:  

outcastsconference@gmail.com