Livingmaps Conference

 More-than-Human Mappings

 Provisional Dates: October 30th - 31st 2024

Venue: TBC (Hybrid event in central London and online)

We are pleased to open invitations for contributions to the Livingmaps conference on the theme of more-than-human mappings. 

Ideas about the ‘more-than-human’ have developed extensively over the past two decades, despite their longer histories, in various disciplines that have challenged the dissociation of humans from other species and things. This has attracted the attention of artists, activists, academics, policymakers and others. Many now agree that decentring the human is essential if we are to meet the pressing challenges of our world, in both local and global contexts. 

Yet, only a small fraction of this work has used mapping practices to tell more-than-human stories, histories and practices, or used mapping to engage wider audiences with these issues. Examples of the practice, such as the Bear 71 interactive documentary (2012), Feral Atlas (2020), More-than-human Dérive (2024), and the collective work of the Mapping Future Imaginaries Network (2023-) offer much inspiration into what is possible in this space. We believe that the time has come to gather together the threads of more-than-human mappings into a special event, to share our knowledge and ideas, to exchange good practice, and inspire each other. We invite contributions regarding more-than-human ways of thinking about maps and of doing mapping; maps ofthe more-than-human; or embodied processes of mapping that attend to non-representational ideas of liveliness. 

The conference will take place over two days (30/31 October 2024) and will run as a hybrid event, both in person in London (UK) and online. The programme will be made up of one day of talks and walks, one day of workshops, and an exhibition running over both days.  

We invite 250 word proposals under the following four categories, from anyone working with, or interested in, more-than-human mapping to:

·      Present their work

·      Give guided walks / set walking activities 

·      Run workshop sessions

·      Submit work for the exhibition 

Please send your proposals to info@livingmaps.org.uk by end of May 31st 2024

Please include: 

·      Name of proposed session

·      An outline of what you would like to do

·      What materials / resources you will require

·      The maximum number of participants you can work with (if running a walk / workshop)