Eastern Communication Association

06/18/2024

ECA 2025 Convention Interpretation and Performance Studies Interest Group Call for Papers

Interpretation & Performance 
Eastern Communication Association 116th Annual Convention
Theme: Contemporary Problems, Creative Solutions
Dates: March 26-30, 2025
Location: Hyatt Regency Buffalo, NY
Submission Deadline: October 16, 2024 11:59 PM EST

The Interpretation & Performance Studies Interest Group invites submissions for the 116th Convention for the 2024 Eastern Communication Association. We’ll meet in Buffalo, New York March 26-30, 2024. The deadline for submissions is October 16, 11:59pm EST.

After more than two decades, ECA returns to New York. Buffalo, the second largest city in the state, is called the “City of Good Neighbors” for its welcoming and supportive community.  Located in the northwestern part of the state, Buffalo has nurtured a vibrant, active performing arts scene of over 25 professional theatre companies, including Musical Fare, Torn Space, and Alleyway, as well as Shea’s Performing Arts Center. The convention hotel, Hyatt Regency, is located in downtown Buffalo, and within walking distance to art galleries, multiple history, science, and art museums, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House. Canalside, a 21-acre waterfront park overlooking the Buffalo River, hosts a variety of events throughout the year, and is home to many restaurants and boutiques reflecting the culture and cuisine of the city.

The 2025 convention theme is “Contemporary Problems, Creative Solutions.” In our ever-changing world, contemporary problems and issues need to be addressed with creative solutions. Communication Studies scholars and practitioners are well-positioned to offer theoretical and practical insights to address contemporary problems. First Vice President’s Special Programming will focus on the communication surrounding contemporary problems and potential solutions in various areas including social justice, Artificial Intelligence, higher education enrollment, undergraduate and graduate program development, curriculum changes, current political climate, health disparities, and workplace communication issues, among other areas.

The Interpretation and Performance Studies Group considers performance a method of communication inquiry and embodied way of knowing and presenting information. With this in mind, we are open to a variety of submission formats including papers, paper panels, performances, performance panels, film sessions, page to stage sessions, and conversations with performance scholars that address or respond to a variety of current topics, issues, situations. We especially encourage members to embrace the convention theme: “Contemporary Problems, Creative Solutions.” Dr. Jordan Atkinson, First Vice President & Primary Convention Planner, encourages submissions that interrogate the following:

• How can Communication Studies scholarship, teaching, and practice provide creative solutions to contemporary societal, environmental, geopolitical, technological, and economic problems?
• How can we best prepare undergraduate and graduate students to address these contemporary problems with creative solutions?
• How can we extend Communication Studies scholarship, teaching, and practice to settings and situations outside our traditional contexts?

We believe this year’s theme enables our division to shine by encouraging submissions that are innovative and current in both content and form. We welcome submissions that, for example: move beyond traditional research presentations and engage audiences in current ways; perform embodied moments for current personal, political, professional, etc. contexts; narrate our current communities, discipline, research, teaching; critically and creatively engage our current institutions, including the academy and beyond; explore the current relationship between performance art and the discipline, academy and beyond; showcase current public, performative discourse; critique or embrace the current logics associated with technologies that intersect with our lives (i.e., AI, social media, virtual reality, etc.)….and beyond! We know our membership is creative in their thoughts and approaches, and we look forward to seeing the direction in which our members take the current theme! 

The Interpretation & Performance Studies Interest Group (IPS) plays well with others! As much of our work intersects with diverse voices and methodologies, we especially encourage proposals that can be co-sponsored by our colleagues in other interest groups such as Voices of Diversity, Intercultural Communication, or other areas. Some ideas for submission include critical/cultural considerations, autoethnographic engagement, narrative methodological work, and new and innovative approaches to and considerations for performance studies scholars. The interest group welcomes co-sponsorship between other interest groups, when appropriate.

Let’s continue our conversation, community, and collaboration as we work toward ECA in Buffalo. Our Facebook page is “ECA Interpretation and Performance Studies Interest Group.” In addition, if you’re looking for collaborators, panel members, or have ideas (or questions), please email the interest group chairs at evan.schares@villanova.edu and jshamroc@monmouth.edu 

The Interpretation & Performance Studies Interest Group at ECA utilizes Attendee Interactive for all submissions and blind reviews. Please note, technology availability is limited at ECA; if your proposal would be impossible without technology, please explain this information in your proposal. 

Upload your submission at the following site: LINK COMING SOON

While registering and/or renewing your membership at ECA, please remember to choose Interpretation and Performance Studies as one of your interest group selections.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FOR COMPLETED, COMPETITIVE PAPERS

Papers should be a maximum of 25 double-spaced pages, not including references and appendices, and typed in 12-point font with 1-inch margins. Be sure to include an abstract. Times New Roman font is preferred. Papers should be written in accordance with the University of Chicago Manual of Style or APA 7th edition. The main document must be blind; that is, DO NOT include any identifying author/s, institution/s, or contact information. The IPS interest group will award a Top Paper in this panel.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FOR PAPER PANEL PROPOSALS

Paper panel proposals should include: a title; names of chair & respondent; names, mailing addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, and institutional affiliations of all participants; a document with unidentified titles and abstracts for each paper or presentation topic in the panel; program copy for the session (no more than a 75-word description) as it should appear in the final program; and a detailed rationale for the program/panel. Proposals should be written in accordance with the University of Chicago Manual of Style or APA 7th edition. The document/s must be blind; that is, DO NOT include any identifying author/s, institution/s, or contact information. 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FOR ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS

Round table discussion proposals should include: a title; names, mailing addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, and institutional affiliations of all participants; program copy (no more than a 75-word description) as it should appear in the final program; and a detailed rationale for the discussion/program, including hopes for audience participation. The request for audience participation should be included in the 100-word description. The document/s must be blind; that is, DO NOT include any identifying author/s, institution/s, or contact information. 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FOR PERFORMANCE SESSIONS, PAGE-TO-STAGE SESSIONS, OR CONVERSATIONS WITH A SCHOLAR SESSIONS

If you have a group of performances around a theme or a longer form solo performance, choose either Paper or Panel session, and then please include a label at the top of your submission as a “Performance Session,” “Page to Stage Session,” or “Conversations with a Scholar Session.” Each of these proposal types should include supporting documents that explain the purpose of the session, an agenda for the session, program copy for the session (no more than a 75-word description) as it should appear in the final program, and an invitation for audience participation (if applicable). All submitted document/s must be blind; that is, DO NOT include any identifying author/s, institution/s, or contact information. 

All submissions must include the Statement of Professional Responsibility:
In submitting the attached paper or proposal, I/We recognize that an accepted paper, panel, or poster is considered a professional responsibility. If this submission is accepted and programmed, I/We agree to register for the ECA convention, pay fees, and present the work. I/We understand that presenters with last minute emergencies should take all possible measures to arrange an alternate presenter and communicate their plans to both the Interest Group Planner and ECA VP.

Convention Acceptance Notifications: January 2024

Please reach out to me if you have any questions or ideas!

Kindness,

Evan Schares, Villanova University
Jenn Shamrock, Monmouth University