Call for papers: How Women Build. Manchester, 26-27 June 2020
A two-day conference, Wikithon Event and Exhibition at the Manchester School of Architecture
Supported by the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art and the Women’s History Network
Keynote Speakers: Dr Elizabeth Darling (editor of ‘Suffragette City’ (together with Nathaniel Robert Walker, Routledge, 2019) and Dr Sonja Dümpelmann (editor of ‘Women, Modernity and Landscape Architecture’ (together with John Beardsley; Routledge, 2015) and author of the biography of Maria Theresa Parpagliolo Shephard (Weimar: WDG, 2004)
This two-day conference at the Manchester School of Architecture will focus on women’s role in the built environment professions and discuss it from both a historic and a comparative contemporary point of view. Women’s contribution to the development of the built environment profession has been an evolving subject matter, but most publications have discussed it only in their respective disciplines. However, this event aims to broaden the discussion and bring a comparative, multidisciplinary approach, that allows the examination of not just individuals, but also networks of professionals stretching across disciplinary boundaries. The conference will therefore bring a new, more detailed understanding of the recent history of the professionals of architecture, landscape architecture, planning, interior design and engineering, and rather than focusing individual designers, it will celebrate the female contribution in its many formats.
The conference will be accompanied by a Wikipedia hackathon, that will encourage delegates to actively participate to improve coverage of gender, feminism and the built environment professions on Wikipedia, and a roundtable discussion that will feature key female leaders in the field, discussing their experience in comparison with the historic case studies.
The conference invites individual papers, dialogues and poster presentations featuring three key themes – ‘Educational Changes’, ‘Individual Stories’ and ‘Celebrating Female Collaboration’.
Individual papers and dialogues. Proposals for 20 minute papers are welcome. The conference organizers are also interested in innovative ideas for panel discussions / dialogues (maximum three speakers plus chair). Please specify which you are applying for in your abstract and include the email addresses and any institutional affiliations of all participants.
Posters. The conference also welcomes proposals for posters, particularly from PhD candidates and new researchers / presenters. Posters will be on display during the conference with a session dedicated to short, 5 minutes poster presentations and discussions.
Please send abstracts to h.aston@mmu.ac.uk by Wednesday 6 January 2020. Abstracts should be 300 words and should be sent as an attachment with your Surname and Initials as the file name and please make sure you put HOW WOMEN BUILD? in the subject line. Please also include a 50 words biography. Please include your NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS AND INSTITUTION (if any) on the proposal/abstract itself. If you are proposing a dialogue/panel discussion, please give emails / contact details for all panel members. The selected participants will be informed of the acceptance of their paper on, or before, 31st January 2020.
For more information, please visit the conference website and the conference Twitter @howwomenbuild1