Call for Papers:
2026 Imagining Creative Worlds
Online symposium in the Common Ground Imagining Futures Series
November 11-12, 2026
https://artsinsociety.com/online-symposium/2026-call-for-papers
Deadline for submissions of proposals: October 11, 2026
Deadline for applications for Emerging Scholars Award: August 11, 2026
We invite proposals for 2026 Imagining Creative Worlds, an annual online symposium in the Common Ground Imagining Futures Series,, taking place 11–12 November 2026.
The symposium brings together scholars, researchers, artists, designers, educators, publishers, museum professionals, media makers, and cultural practitioners working across creative fields and practices. We welcome proposals that explore how creative worlds are made, shared, interpreted, circulated, and transformed.
For 2026, The Arts in Society Research Network serves as the host Network, helping shape the symposium’s emphasis within the wider theme of Imagining Creative Worlds.
Hosted by the Common Ground Media Lab @ Research Park at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA, the symposium is also part of Common Ground’s ongoing work on the knowledge experience: exploring how online environments can support focused dialogue, continuous exchange, publication pathways, and new forms of scholarly communication.
SYMPOSIUM THEMES
Imagining Creative Worlds is organized around four annual themes that reflect the wider ecology of creative inquiry and practice across Common Ground.
We welcome proposals that engage creativity as a form of research, cultural production, public communication, and world-making. Contributions may be theoretical, empirical, practice-based, pedagogical, curatorial, or community-oriented, and may address established fields of creative practice as well as emerging questions at the intersections of art, design, media, communication, publishing, technology, and public culture.
Together, the themes invite participants to consider how creative forms are made, how they circulate, how they are interpreted, and how they shape the social, cultural, and material worlds we inhabit.
- Theme 1: Image, Representation, and Visual Culture
- Theme 2: Creative Practice, Materiality, and Form
- Theme 3: Communication, Publishing, and Cultural Circulation
- Theme 4: Museums, Curation, and Cultural Engagement
WAYS TO PARTICIPATE
Imagining Creative Worlds is an online symposium designed to support both live exchange and asynchronous engagement. The format creates space for presentation, discussion, mentoring, reflection, and continued exchange across time zones and schedules.
Participants may engage through live online sessions, themed discussions, workshops, asynchronous presentations, posters, and presentation pages. The symposium also includes support-oriented sessions for PhD students, early career researchers, and emerging scholars, with attention to research development, academic pathways, publication advice, and participation in wider scholarly communities.
This flexible structure is intended to keep the online experience active and connected: live sessions offer real-time dialogue, while asynchronous formats allow work to remain visible for viewing, discussion, and feedback beyond a single scheduled session.
PUBLICATION PATHWAYS
Imagining Creative Worlds connects presentation with publication, giving participants opportunities to develop their work beyond the symposium.
Accepted and registered presentations will be included in the symposium proceedings, creating a formal record of the work shared. Participants may also develop their papers for possible publication in journals associated with the participating Research Networks, depending on the scope, quality, and fit of the work.
Selected contributions may be invited for inclusion in a curated best of the symposium book volume.
The symposium also supports wider field-level reflection through plenary dialogue, Talking Circles, publication advice sessions, and a dedicated working group contributing to a collective state of the field statement.
Together, these pathways support both individual scholarly development and the wider work of defining emerging questions, voices, and directions in creative fields.
Read more about publication pathways
PROPOSAL AND REGISTRATION PERIODS
Proposal submission and registration are organized into Early, Regular, and Late periods. Proposals are accepted until 11 October 2026, one month before the symposium begins, and are reviewed within two to four weeks of submission.
Registration remains open through the start of the symposium, though presenters are encouraged to register early so they have time to prepare and upload the required digital media before the deadline.
Digital media should be uploaded by 4 November 2026.
Proposal Periods:
Proposals will be reviewed within two to four weeks of submission.
Early: Launch to 11 July 2026
Regular: 12 July – 11 September 2026
Late: 12 September – 11 October 2026
Registration Deadlines:
The digital media deadline is 4 November 2026, one week before the symposium begins.
Early: Launch to 11 August 2026
Regular: 12 August – 11 September 2026
Late: 12 September – 11 November 2026
SUBMIT PROPOSAL
Ready to share your work? Submit a proposal to join 2026 Imagining Creative Worlds and contribute to a focused online exchange on creativity, culture, media, design, publishing, museums, and the arts.
We welcome proposals from scholars, artists, designers, educators, curators, publishers, media makers, students, early career researchers, and practitioners working across creative fields.
Proposals may be submitted in English or Spanish. Accepted presenters will be invited to take part in the symposium’s live and asynchronous formats, with opportunities for discussion, feedback, support sessions, and publication pathways.
Proposal Submission on the CGScholar Symposium Platform
EMERGING SCHOLARS AWARD
Emerging Scholars play a visible and active role in the Symposium. They chair live online sessions, help guide discussion, support presenters and participants, and contribute to the shared intellectual life of the event. Their role is central to what makes the Symposium distinctive: a focused, globally accessible space for exchange across regions, disciplines, and career stages.
As part of CGScholar’s Event (KX) environment, Emerging Scholars contribute to a wider online knowledge experience linking live sessions, Presentation Pages, digital media, discussion spaces, and publication pathways. Their work gains visibility before, during, and after the Symposium, extending participation beyond a single live session.
The Award includes complimentary Symposium registration, Research Network membership, and formal recognition during the event. Award recipients join a supportive, scholar-led community with opportunities for professional development, mentoring, and future collaboration.
Expectations:
Award recipients are expected to attend an online orientation and training session before the Symposium and participate fully by fulfilling assigned chairing and discussion-leading responsibilities.
Who Can Apply:
The Award is open to graduate students and early-career scholars in a field relevant to the Symposium. Applicants should demonstrate strong scholarly promise and a commitment to collaborative online engagement.
Deadline: 11 August 2026
Apply for Award / More on Emerging Scholar Program
SYMPOSIUM CHAIR
Gigi Polo
Dominican-born designer, educator, filmmaker, and practice-based PhD candidate in Design Research, RMIT University, Australia
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