Future Communications Conference | Open House
Dive into the future of communication and culture at 'Future Communications! A ComCult Conference,' where students showcase groundbreaking research and creative projects in thematic panels.
The theme “Future Communications” can be interpreted broadly to include investigations of all aspects of culture, media, politics, policy, technology, and creative practice.
Paper presentations, poster presentations, panel discussions, workshops, and creative artwork, both ongoing and completed research is welcome. The conference is intended especially to support the development of student researchers in early stages.
Next Conference: December 2024
Themes & Keynote Speakers
After a hiatus due to the pandemic, Future Communications! was back, in-person, with a dynamic showcase of student research and creative projects.
The December 2023 conference explored diverse themes within the realms of nationhood, policy, politics, theory, and digitality. In the session on "Nationhood, Policy, and Politics," topics ranged from an examination of resistance to revising Canada's 1991 Broadcasting Act and regulating online streaming to a critical analysis of the intersections of homonationalism and #BlackTransLivesMatter. The "Theoretical Explorations" session delved into areas such as the science of projectification, capitalism's impact on existentialism, feminist perspectives on photography, and the reclamation of viewing agency. The final session on "Data and Digitality" covered exploration of Netflix's interactive ambitions, investigation into the neoliberal imagination regarding data, and examination of spatializing algorithmically mediated cyberspaces. The conference thus provided a comprehensive exploration of contemporary issues at the intersection of communication, technology, and society.
Penelope Ironstone (Wilfrid Laurier University), Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies and MA in Cultural Analysis and Social Theory. President of the Canadian Communication Association and the book review editor for the Canadian Journal of Communication.
Tom Sherman is an American-Canadian artist working in video, audio, radio, performance, sculpture and text/image. He is also a writer of nonfiction and fiction. He is a recipient of Canada's Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Art.
Note to presenters
Each presenter will have 15 minutes for their presentation. Once everyone has presented, there will be 20 minutes question and answer session.