WELCOME TO THE FUTURE
What can I expect?
During the third day of this conference, we focus on the future. We look at discovering new voices within the developing interests and concerns of modern society, ensuring inclusivity for all voices in various mediums.
SCHEDULE
26th November: Future
9:45 am - 10 am
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION TO DAY THREE
10 am - 11 am
VOICES OF NON-HUMAN OTHERNESS: "ALTERNATE WORLDS, FUTURES, AND PERCEPTIONS - A JOURNEY THROUGH SPECULATIVE FICTION.”
A talk by Summer Phillips
‘Voicing Otherness’ is a combination of words chosen specifically to convey how human beings attempt to represent and communicate the ‘experience of world’ belonging to non-human beings. By traversing a selection of pivotal speculative fiction narratives, methods of such voicing can be scrutinised - with particular focus on strategies which may encourage deeper engagement with non-human stories.
Speaker Bio:
I am Summer Phillips and my work is a symbiosis of art and science, utilising a multi-disciplinary approach to ask key environmental questions arising from human perceptions and subsequent behaviours. My current writing is a series of short, interlinked science fiction stories based on perceptions and creations of world: exploring the topics of speciesism, altered ecologies and parallel universe theory. I am interested in how our perception of animals, a branch we also reside upon, affects how our world could be re-built, to either thrive or decay.
Story collection in progress: “Millimetre” – Interlinked speculative fiction tales based on perceptions & creations of world: exploring the topics of speciesism, altered ecologies & multiverse theory.
11 am - 11:15 am
BREAK
11:15 am - 12:15 pm
CREATING SPACE FOR VOICE
A workshop by Hannah James Louwerse
In this workshop the participants will be asked to reflect on which spaces restrict or elevate voice and what elements, methods, or tactics are used to make these spaces. They will be challenged to turn to archives and question how this space handles voice and what it could learn from other spaces. It is a workshop where no idea is a bad idea, and thinking outside of the box is a must.
Speaker Bio: Hannah started her CDA “Oral History’s Design: A creative collaboration. Sustaining visitor (re)use of oral histories on heritage sites” this January at Newcastle University. Her CDA is in collaboration with the National Trust site Seaton Delaval Hall, the Oral History Unit at Newcastle University and the Design school at Northumbria University. The project involves recording oral histories from the community that surrounds the hall and then using these as the foundation to build a sustainable archive. The archive will be built by facilitating design thinking workshops with the hall’s community, National Trust staff and the respective universities.
12:15 pm - 1:30 pm
LUNCH
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
MINDFUL AND PRACTICAL APPROACHES TO WRITING POETRY
Workshop ran by Iftikhar Latif
This generative poetry workshop, led by Iftikhar Latif (@YungIfto), focuses on exploring mindfulness techniques we can implement to help us get writing. Whether we’re unsure of what to write about or are experiencing severe writer’s block, there are practical steps we can take to overcome these obstacles and get some words on the page. The vibe of this workshop will be relaxed with writers of all levels welcome. There will be opportunities to share and interact so please do come prepared to turn on your webcam. Nothing more than a pen, some paper and smile is needed.
Speaker bio: Iftikhar Latif is a writer and spoken-word artist of British-Bangladeshi descent. He released his debut collection of short stories and poems, titled ‘LOSERS’, in August 2019. His work often refers to the British Asian experience, family relationships, and isolation. Currently, he is an organiser and co-host for ‘Off the Chest’.
A Techne Student-Led Conference
