JULY 16-19, 2020

GRAPHIC MEDICINE IN/DURING TROUBLED TIMES: HEALTH, SOCIAL JUSTICE and HUMAN RIGHTS

#GraphMed2020

For the most up-to-date 2020 Conference information, go to the 2020 Toronto Conference page.

CFP in PDF format: GM 2020 CFP. Please share widely.

The 2020 Graphic Medicine conference aims to encourage critical dialogues and interventions in/during troubled times with a specific emphasis on social justice and human rights. This year’s theme seeks connections between health, equity, and justice in an era of rapid ecological and societal upheaval. We invite submissions that address the relationship between health and such upheavals, as revealed through comics in its many forms (e.g. graphic novels, memoir, comic strips, manga, mini comics, web comics). Presentations are invited that explore the following themes (as well as others that are not listed):

• Social determinants of health
• Environmental racism and slow violence
• Institutional racism and other forms of structural violence
• Queer health
• Food insecurity
• Securitization of borders
• indigenous health and healing
• Patriarchal medicine
• Prison justice
• Opioid crisis
• Care work and disability justice
• Migrant and refugee rights
• Market capitalism
• Health care access

Presentation Formats:

Lightning talks: These 5-minute presentations should provide an engaging and concentrated synopsis of new, ongoing, or completed scholarly, creative, or professional work in Graphic Medicine. This format is designed with the promotion of sustained conversation in mind.

Oral presentations: These 15-20 minute presentations are largely for work that requires and engages a longer presentation format than a lightning talk.

Panel discussions: These 90-minute interviews or presentations by a panel of speakers are meant to be collaborative, interdisciplinary, or address a single topic from a variety of perspectives.

Posters: Proposals for posters should include a title and an abstract with accompanying images if necessary.

Workshops: These 90-minute, hands-on, activity-driven sessions are for participants who wish to obtain particular skills with regard to comics. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:

• drawing for health
• accessing personal stories
• comics and storytelling
• mini-comic tutorial

Submission Process:

Proposal abstracts should not exceed 300 words and may be submitted in Word or PDF format. Please include the following information in this order:

• author(s)
• affiliation
• email address
• phone number
• title of abstract
• body of abstract
• sample images or web links to work being discussed (if applicable)
• presentation format preference (see options above)
• equipment needed (e.g. AV projection, whiteboard, easel, etc.)

Proposals should be submitted by January 31st, 2020 to: graphicmedicine2020@gmail.com

Abstracts will be peer-reviewed by an interdisciplinary selection committee. Notification of acceptance or rejection will be completed by the week of March 15.

While we cannot guarantee that presenters will receive their first choice of presentation format, we will attempt to honour preferences, and we will acknowledge the receipt of all proposals.

Please note: Presenters are responsible for costs associated with their session (e.g. handouts and supplies) and personal expenses (travel, hotel, and registration fees). All presenters must register for the conference. Discounted rates and some limited scholarships will be available for students, artists, and others in need.

Proposals should be submitted no later than January 31st, 2020!