Call for Papers
Call for Journal Articles Now Open
Making, Remaking, and Limitations
We are currently inviting authors to submit papers to be considered for publication.
This year's symposium theme is 'making, remaking and limitations'. To be published in Volume 5 of the Journal of Festival Culture Inquiry and Analysis by the end of 2026,
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Key Dates:
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500-word Abstract Proposal Submission Deadline: 21st January 2026
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Completed Presentation Deadline Optional: 15th March 2026
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Expected Publication: 2026/2027
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Volume 3 of our peer-reviewed Journal of Festival Culture Inquiry and Analysis is out now. Please note that selected symposium papers will be considered for publishing.
Publishing 2026/2027
Call for Papers (Journal of Festival Culture Inquiry and Analysis Volume 5)
Deadline for full articles 15th March 2026
During our sixth annual online event, we will discuss 'making, remaking, and limitations' in festive, celebratory, and ritual cultures. Our questions are: How and why do people continue to make and remake culture? In what ways do they experience limitations when making and remaking culture, if any? What is the significance of the making and remaking of culture and whom is it for?
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Our goal is to examine what funding, policies, gatekeeping, people management, cultural politics, etc. can reveal about making and remaking practices in carnivals, festivals, ceremonies, fetes, fairs, and rituals, taking into account the limitations and advantages of these celebrations and events.
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In keeping with our previous theme, we will also consider shared values, practices, customs, heritage, traditions, continuity, uniqueness, and differentiation within festive and celebratory cultures. The intention is to examine how culture is made and remade and how emotions and experiences are shared and/or autonomously experienced.
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Proposals may also address, but are not limited to, the following themes:
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• Art, Craft, and Practice
• Carnivals (including Diasporic Carnivals)
• Celebration and Leisure
• Competition, Adjudication, and Legacy
• Costume and the Body
• Creative Industries
• Culture and Politics
• Dance and Performance
• Education
• Embodiment
• Events
• Food Culture
• Community Making (Re-making)
• Literature
• Medieval Culture
• Night Festivals
• Memory, Nostalgia, and Temporality
• Music and Sound
• Tradition and Heritage
• Religion
• Resistance, Resilience, and Activism
• Sporting Celebrations
• Tourism
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Abstracts of up to 500-word (only abstracts/papers that have not been previously presented and published will be considered) and biographies of no more than 100 words (in Word .doc format).
Key Dates:
Key Dates:
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500-word Abstract Proposal Submission Deadline: 21st January 2026
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Completed Paper Deadline: 15th March 2026
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Expected Publication: 2026/2027
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2025 Registration is closed
ISFC 2025
Call now open for journal articles to be published by the end of 2026.
The aim of this symposium is to organise and maintain a festival exchange network, focusing on cultural, community, literary, religious festivals, etc., and to publish papers around the theme after the symposium. We believe that a festival exchange will be an excellent resource – a means of developing supportive partnerships and understanding the historical, creative, and cultural links that may exist between different festivals. It represents an opportunity for academics to gain knowledge that could be of value to their research, and for those outside academia to become more aware of and engaged with academic research that could be a source of both inspiration and knowledge.​
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Disclaimer:
The views, opinions, and communications shared at the ISFC 25 virtual event may not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the organiser.
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It is the policy of the symposium that any attendee using foul language or being disruptive or both will be removed.
Terms:
We reserve the right to make alterations to our programme, date, etc. of the Symposium at any time without prior notice.
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Our goal is to create a positive learning environment and maintain a welcoming atmosphere. To make this symposium a success, we require that attendees be respectful of each other's opinions and refrain from inappropriate language or disruptive behaviour. We strive to create a safe space where everyone can express their ideas and ask questions without fear of judgement or criticism.
We encourage thoughtful and constructive dialogue that fosters learning and growth. We also ask that attendees practice active listening, and take advantage of the opportunity to exchange knowledge and grow together. We want to ensure that everyone can learn and share ideas in a safe and comfortable space. Let's make this a memorable learning event. See the following link for further details on event etiquette.
Dr Jonathan Skinner
Chair
Carnival Making and Remaking: TT and its UK offspring
Keynote Address
Guest Panelist
Kerwyn C Turnbull
Guest Panelist
Submitted Paper Presenters
FCRE
Chair
Dr Mandy Curtis
Chair
Presenters
Professor Donnie Ibn Malik Ali McClendon
Kneebone Bend: The Sonic Legacy of Resistance and Spirituality in African Diasporic Traditions
Dr Ewan Kirkland
Remaking Plastic Ponies: The Work of UK MLP Conventions
Meera Curam
Tracing the practices: Embodiment in the everyday practice of Rangoli
Dr Saayan Chattopadhyay
Remaking the end event: Reading the Durga Puja’s immersion carnival using rasa theory
Dr Adeola Dewis
Chair
Presenters
Megan Gorsalitz
Dr Anto P. Cheerotha
The Remaking of Women’s Sexuality in the Medieval Morality Play Tradition
Constructing the Sacred and the National: Media Narratives of the Maha Kumbh Mela in Contemporary India
Dr Silvia Casini
How to Re-activate the Engendered Archive of a Historical Science Film Festival
FCRE
Chair
Presenters
Fadime Apaydin
Turkish Cuisine: Exploring its Intersection with Religion, Gender, and Society
Athria A
The Taste of Death on a Banana Leaf: The Culinary Practices and (Re) Interpretation of the Meanings of the Food Rites
Hee Sook LEE-NIINIOJA
Bibimbap: A Korean Traditional Dish for Everyone’s Well-being across Time and Space
Dr Kyle Schenkewitz
Festive Drinking: Christianity, Alcohol,
and Festival Occasions
FCRE:ISFC 25 reserves the right to make changes to the program in the event of illness, technology failure, etc. Additionally, some sessions may run longer than scheduled.
The views, opinions, and communications shared at the ISFC 25 virtual event may not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the organiser. ​
ISFC 2025 Programme (UK Time)
10:00
Welcome
Chair: FCRE
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Keynote Address
Chair: Dr Jonathan Skinner
10:05 - 10:25
Steve Pascal
Carnival Making
and Remaking: TT
and UK offspring
Q&A (10 mins)
Session One
10:35 - 11:55
Chair: Dr Mandy Curtis
Submitted Papers
Making, Remaking
and Limitations
Dr Ewan Kirkland
Meera Curam
Dr Saayan Chattopadhyay
Prof Donnie Ibn Malik Ali McClendon​
11:55 - 12:00
Break
(5 mins)
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Session Two
12:00 - 1:00
Chair: Dr Adeola Dewis
Submitted Papers
Drama, Film and
Cultural Identities
Megan Gorsalitz
Dr Anto P. Cheerotha
Dr Silvia Casini
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1:00 - 1:05
Break
(5 mins)
Session Three
1:05 - 2:15
Chair: FCRE
Submitted Papers
Food Fest, Feasts
and Gatherings
Fadime Apaydin
Athria A
​Dr Hee Sook LEE-NIINIOJA
Dr Kyle Schenkewitz
2:15 - 2:20
Break
(5 mins)
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Session Four
2:20 (9:20 TT) - 3:30 (10:30 TT)
Chair: Rhonda Allen
Making and
Remaking Carnival
Guest Panel:
Justin Thomas
CEO of Carnival Arts & Masquerade Foundation (CAMF)
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3:30 - 3:45
Open Forum Discussion
3:45
Closing Remarks
This event is open to all!
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