Confirmed speakers: Professor Bev Skeggs (London School of Economics), Professor Radhika Gajjala (Bowling Green State, Ohio), Professor Sarah Banet-Weiser (USC, Annenberg)

The media, arts and cultural industries present a positive image of good and fulfilling work whilst the artistic products of those industries are often imbued with moral and cultural value. Yet, we have become increasingly aware of the inequalities and injustices integral to these industries. These include the ways in which opportunities to participate in such work are unequally distributed, and how the material and immaterial rewards of doing so are unevenly spread, socially, as well as geographically, at national and global scales.  Arts, cultural and media industry work has been further tarnished by recent and high profile revelations concerning the systemic abuses suffered by cultural workers from within powerful organisations which in turn must encourage us to reflect upon on the lasting legacies of the objects of this cultural work. Far from being ‘good’, work in culture, media and the arts increasingly appears as damaging, and divested of care or concern for others.

The second interdisciplinary CAMEo conference therefore focuses on the issues of care, concerns and ethics in the cultural and media economies. It foregrounds four key questions:

  • What are the sources of the different inequalities, injustices and harms in cultural and media industries?
  • In what ways do cultural objects and texts work to intervene in, challenge or reproduce social injustices, abuses and harms?
  • How can the emotions and intimacies in cultural work be harnessed to enhance the debates and frameworks for improving social justice across the cultural and media industries?
  • What forms of community, social connection or organizing might offer spaces of consolation, relief and opposition to damaging work?
Submissions

Please submit abstracts for papers or pre-constituted panels by Friday 27 April 2018 using the form provided to cameoconference2018@le.ac.uk

Decision on submissions: Mid-May

Conference fees: £220 (£100 for students) includes lunches, conference dinner and refreshments.

Registration and Accommodation options available from 19th May

For enquiries and further details please email cameoconference2018@le.ac.uk