

Call for Journal Articles Now Open
Adopt, Adapt, Abandon
We are currently inviting authors to submit papers to be considered for publication.
​
This year's symposium theme was 'adopt, adapt and abandon', to be published in Volume 6 of the Journal of Festival Culture Inquiry and Analysis by the end of 2027,
​​
Key Dates:
-
500-word Abstract Proposal Submission Deadline: 20th February 2027
-
Completed Paper Submission Deadline: 20th April 2027
-
Expected Publication: 2027/2028
​
Volume 4 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 20th February 2027

'Adopting, adapting, and abandoning' in festive, celebratory, and ritual cultures was the subject of the seventh annual online event..
There were many questions addressed, among them: Who adopts the practices and values of another culture and how does it happen? How much of the original culture remains and how much of the newly adopted culture is maintained? How and/or why do people choose another culture as their own? And what aspects of the adopted culture are they learning? Under what conditions do people adapt to culture? And how are behaviours, attitudes and practices adapted to align with both the ‘home’ culture and adapted cultures? Do some people adapt to cultures better than others, and why? What might be the reasons for abandoning a culture? Are there any feelings or emotions that might lead to abandonment of a culture? Can family and/or peer pressure lead to abandonment?
​
As we have done for themes covered by previous symposiums, we also considered shared values, practices, customs, heritage, traditions, continuity, temporality, uniqueness, and differentiation within festive and celebratory cultures. The intention is to examine how culture is adopted, adapted, and abandoned, and how emotions and experiences are shared and/or autonomously experienced. Additionally, we considered the degree to which adopted and adapted cultures can be transformed generationally. Camaraderie and the familial heritage associated with cultures were also taken into account.
​
Journal Proposal Submissions:​
They may address any of the following themes, but not limited to them:
​
• Aesthetics
• Art, craft, and practice
• Ambivalence
• Carnivals (including diasporic carnivals)
• Celebration and leisure
• Competition, adjudication, and legacy
• Costumes
• Creative industries
• Culture and politics
• Cultural values and beliefs
• Dance and performance
• Embodiment
• Events
• Festivals
• Food culture
• Gatherings
• Learning and teaching (formal, non-formal and informal)
• Medieval culture (including historical re-enactment)
• Memory and nostalgia
• Music and sound
• Night festivals
• Religious culture (including faith, ideology, rites, and customs)
• Rituals
• Resistance, resilience, and activism
• Space and place
• Sporting celebrations
• Temporality and liminality
• Tradition and heritage
• Tourism
• Youth culture
​
Abstract submissions 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:
-
500-word Abstract Proposal Submission Deadline: 20th February 2027
-
Completed Presentation Deadline: 20th April 2027
-
Expected Publication: 2027/2028
​



2026 Registration is closed
ISFC 2026
Call now open for journal articles to be published by the end of 2027/2028.

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.​
​
Disclaimer:
The views, opinions, and communications shared at the ISFC 26 virtual event may not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the organiser.
​
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.
​
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.

Chair
FCRE

Guest Speaker
Dr Susan Beth Rottmann
Assistant Professor in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Dr Rottmann is a migration expert who has published in a wide variety of international peer-reviewed journals, including Food, Culture and Society, Food Security, International Migration Review, Space and Culture, Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power, and Critical Sociology.
Adopt, Adapt, Abandon: Carnival's Future
Over the years this session has continuously been about carnival and its future. As part of our 'Carnival Standards Manifesto' initiative it supports to encourage open dialogue. For structured discourses as mentioned in our recent newsletter we are happy to include dates for discussions outside the symposium if there is interest. You can contact festival.culture.edu@proton.me if you would like FCRE to organise online carnival discussions. Depending on the number of participation requests and the number of potential panelists, we can schedule additional online sessions. Please let us know if you would like to be a panelist or an audience member. Serious and genuine proposals only.

Symone Williams
Guest Panellist

Amos Armstrong
Guest Panellist
Carnival Costume Designer and Judge Trinidad and Tobago Carnival

Joshua Anthony
Guest Panellist
Midnight Robber Performer
Trinidad and Tobago Carnival

Chair
Notting Hill Carnival and Preston Carnival Head Judge. PhD Candidate at University
of Sheffield
Food, Culture, Identity and Heritage

Guest and Chair for Session Two: Food, Culture and Heritage
Prof Donnie Ibn Malik Ali McClendon
Presenting "Seeing Read" (pronounced “red”) a piece that is deeply reflective and speaks to themes of perception, identity, interpretation, and the layered complexities of being seen and understood.
Festivals and Performance

Guest
Rubadiri Victor
Victor is a multi-media artist working in 8 mediums. He’s founder of the Artists’ Coalition of Trinidad & Tobago - T&T’s primary artist representative group, and ‘Wire Bend Folklore Theatre’ which explores ancestral, contemporary, and futurist folklore. His multiple apprenticeships with Elder Master Artists informs his art and activism, leading him to become a scholar with new critical takes on contemporary cultural theory…

FCRE
Chair
Submitted Paper Presenters

FCRE
Chair
FCRE
Presenters



Ankita Bhatkhande
Dr Fotis Begklis
Text
Negotiating Purity and Modernity: Food, Caste, and Gender in Marathi Indian Cookbooks
Beach of Dreams: A UK-wide coastal arts festival exploring the unique heritage, cultures, and futures of our coastlines
Text
FCRE
Presenters



Fatma Edemen
James Heazlewood-Dale
Carlos Rodríguez
Curating the Stateless: Kurdish Cinema in Cannes and Berlin (Film Festival)
Performing Video Game Music: Online Spaces, VGM Music Festivals, and Jam Sessions
text
Social Media and Digital Citizenship in Relation to Festive Culture
FCRE:ISFC 26 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 26 virtual event may not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the organiser. ​
ISFC 2026 Programme (UK Time)
10:00
Welcome
Chair: FCRE
​​
Session One
Guest Speaker
Chair: Dr Adeola Dewis
10:05 - 10:35
Dr Susan Beth Rottmann
Urban Atmosphere, Place Rebranding, and Tension Management
Q&A (10 mins)
​
Guest Speaker
10:35 - 12:05
Linett Kamala
Adopt, Adapt, Abandon
Q&A (10 mins)
​
12:05 - 12:10
Break
(5 mins)
​
Session Two
12:10 - 1:10
Chair: Prof Donnie Ibn Malik Ali McClendon
Submitted Papers
Food, Culture, Identity and Heritage
Ankita Bhatkhande
Dr Fotis Begklis
Q&A (10 mins)​
​​
1:10 - 1:40
Guest Speaker
Prof Donnie Ibn Malik Ali McClendon
Q&A (5 mins)
​​
​1:40 - 1:45
Break
(5 mins)
Session Three
1:45 - 2:45
Chair: Dr Jo Buchanan
Submitted Papers
Festivals and Performances
Fatma Edemen
James Heazlewood-Dale
Carlos Rodríguez
Q&A (10 mins)
​
2:45pm UK (9:45am TT) -
3:20pm UK (10:20am TT)
Guest Speaker
Rubadiri Victor
‘PANTHEON: The Exhibition Series on the Trinidad & Tobago King and Queen of Carnival Costume Tradition’
Q&A (5 mins)
3:20 - 3:25
Break
(5 mins)
​
Session Four
3:25 (10:25 TT) - 4:25 (11:25 TT)
Chair: Rhonda Allen,
Carnival’s Future: Adopting, Adapting, Abandoning
Guest Panelists:
Symone Williams
Amos Armstrong
Joshua Anthony
​
4:25 - 4:30
Open Forum Discussion
4:30
Closing Remarks
