Fairy Tales
A Global Inclusive Interdisciplinary Conference

Sunday 19th March 2023 - Monday 20th March 2023
Prague, Czech Republic

Fairy tales, emerging from the oral tradition, are some of the oldest narratives we have. Following mythologies, legends, epics, folk tale traditions, fairy tales contain elements from the realistic to the supernatural and the fantastic. Having been told in different cultures and in different languages, these tales change and transform as they pass from mouth to mouth, from culture to culture, from generation to generation; it is the foremost part of our tendency to create, to tell, to share. Hoping to add more to explorations in understanding fairy tale, we invites varieties of disciplines, professions, practitioners and storytellers to create, tell and share with us.

Fairy tales work on various levels: as psychoanalytic maps, as reflections of traditions, stereotypes or traumas of collective or personal consciousness, guides to navigating, understanding and functioning in life, as well as including regional or international imageries, motifs and symbols. As a part of our cultural memory as well as history, they are is filled with vast ranges of imagery, symbols and motifs which are continually being adapted, rewritten, reinterpreted and subject to formal and thematic changes.

Key Topics
Our global and inclusive Fairy Tales interdisciplinary conference will investigate a range of topics from how fairy tales represent good and evil, how these are personified or interact, what these reveal about their origins and roots and what they mean for the modern societies.

Consistent with our interdisciplinary ethos, the event proposes to step outside the traditional conference setting and offer opportunities for artists, practitioners, theorists, independent scholars, performers, writers, and others to intermingle, providing platforms for interdisciplinary interactions. The organisers welcome proposals for presentations, displays, round-tables, panels, interactive workshops and other activities to stimulate engagement and discussion on any aspect relating to fairy tales.

Key topics, themes and issues for discussion may include, but are definitely not limited to:

~ Close analysis of Fairy Tales
~ Unfinished, fragmented Fairy Tales
~ Contemporary approach to Fairy Tales
~ Transgression and unification in Fairy Tales
~ Functions of Tales over time and/or across cultures
~ Socio-political context of Fairy Tales
~ Fairy Tales and their relations to real life issues
~ Justice and morality in the Tales
~ Utopias and dystopian qualities of Fairy Tales
~ (Re)interpretations and re-imaginings of the same tales over time or across cultures
~ Complexity and depth of Fairy Tale characters
~ Relationship between fantastic and magical elements
~ Fairy Tales and Monsters
~ Traumas and Fairy Tales
~ Childhood, Nostalgia and Fairy Tales
~ Reading Fairy Tales as an adult
~ Social roles, values and teaching them through Fairy Tales
~ Using Fairy Tales as a teaching and learning tool
~ Linguistic elements, rhymes and repetitions in Fairy Tales
~ Virtue, sexuality, authority in Fairy Tales
~ Western, Eastern and International similarities and differences of Fairy Tales
~ Critical approaches to tales
~ Fairy Tale artwork, illustrations and imagery
~ Fictional lands and geographies: fictional spaces and places
~ Adaptating Fairy Tales to other mediums, such as film, television, visual art, music, theatre, graphic novels, dance and video games
~ The effect of adaptations on Fairy Tales
~ Formation of national, cultural, ethnic identity in Fairy Tales
~ Live Performances of Tales
~ Live Performances vs. Written text
~ Theatrical, Dance and staged presentations: Dramatic Readings

We particularly welcome creative responses to the subject, such as poetry/prose, short film screenings/original drama, installations, and alternative presentation styles that engage the audience and foster debate.
At the end of the conference we will be exploring ways in which we can develop the discussions and dialogues in new and sustainable inclusive interdisciplinary directions, including research, workshops, publications, public interest days, associations, developing courses etc which will help us make sense of the topics discussed during the meeting.

What To Send
The aim of this interdisciplinary conference and collaborative networking event is to bring people together and encourage creative conversations in the context of a variety of formats: papers, seminars, workshops, storytelling, performances, poster presentations, panels, q&a’s, round-tables etc.

300 word proposals, presentations, abstracts and other forms of contribution and participation should be submitted by Friday 16th September 2022. Other forms of participation should be discussed in advance with the Organising Chair.

All submissions will be minimally double reviewed, under anonymous (blind) conditions, by a global panel drawn from members of the Project Development Team and the Advisory Board. In practice our procedures usually entail that by the time a proposal is accepted, it will have been triple and quadruple reviewed.

You will be notified of the panel’s decision by Friday 7th October 2022.

If your submission is accepted for the conference, a full draft of your contribution should be submitted by Friday 17th February 2023

Abstracts and proposals may be in Word, RTF or Notepad formats with the following information and in this order:
a) author(s), b) affiliation as you would like it to appear in the programme, c) email address, d) title of proposal, e) body of proposal, f) up to 10 keywords.

E-mails should be entitled: Fairy Tale Submission.

Where To Send
Abstracts should be submitted simultaneously to the Organising Chair and the Project Administrator:

Elif Cakmak (Organising Chair): elif@progressiveconnexions.net
Nsungbemo Ezung (Project Administrator): fairytales@progressiveconnexions.net

What’s so Special About a Progressive Connexions Event?
A fresh, friendly, dynamic format – at Progressive Connexions we are dedicated to breaking away from the stuffy, old-fashion conference formats, where endless presentations are read aloud off PowerPoints. We work to bring you an interactive format, where exchange of experience and information is alternated with captivating workshops, engaging debates and round tables, time set aside for getting to know each other and for discussing common future projects and initiatives, all in a warm, relaxed, egalitarian atmosphere.

A chance to network with international professionals – the beauty of our interdisciplinary events is that they bring together professionals from all over the world and from various fields of activity, all joined together by a shared passion. Not only will the exchange of experience, knowledge and stories be extremely valuable in itself, but we seek to create lasting, ever-growing communities around our projects, which will become a valuable resource for those belonging to them.

A chance to be part of constructing change – There is only one thing we love as much as promoting knowledge: promoting real, lasting social change by encouraging our participants to take collective action, under whichever form is most suited to their needs and expertise (policy proposals, measuring instruments, research projects, educational materials, etc.) We will support all such actions in the aftermath of the event as well, providing a platform for further discussions, advice from the experts on our Project Advisory Team and various other tools and intellectual resources, as needed.

An opportunity to discuss things that matter to you – Our events are not only about discussing how things work in the respective field, but also about how people work in that field – what are the struggles, problems and solutions professionals have found in their line of work, what are the areas where better communication among specialists is needed and how the interdisciplinary approach can help bridge those gaps and help provide answers to questions from specific areas of activity.

An unforgettable experience – When participating in a Progressive Connexions event, there is a good chance you will make some long-time friends. Our group sizes are intimate, our venues are comfortable and relaxing and our event locations are suited to the history and culture of the event.

Ethos
Progressive Connexions believes it is a mark of personal courtesy and professional respect to your colleagues that all delegates should attend for the full duration of the meeting. If you are unable to make this commitment, please do not submit an abstract or proposal for presentation.

Please note: Progressive Connexions is a not-for-profit network and we are not in a position to be able to assist with conference travel or subsistence, nor can we offer discounts off published rates and fees.

Please send all enquiries to: fairytales@progressiveconnexions.net

For further details and information please visit the conference web page: https://www.progressiveconnexions.net/interdisciplinary-projects/storytelling/fairy-tales/conferences/

Sponsored by: Progressive Connexions