As our institute planning committee was debating the title of our next institute, we reflected on the wild extremes that the last seven months have put us through. On one hand, sweatpants, homemade lunch, and Netflix “breaks” sound like every commuter’s dream. On the other hand, systemic racism, global pandemic, and a divisive election could trigger frightfully deep depression and anxiety. We landed on “extraordinary” times, because regardless of your current status, there is nothing ordinary about 2020 and we hope that your digital humanities outputs are reflecting the full range of human emotions experienced by each of us throughout this year.
As you take a moment to consider how you might contribute to this conversation, think about these questions:
- How do digital humanities projects and collaboratives document unprecedented times?
- How do we decide what and who to include and represent?
- How do projects serve communities?
- What innovations will occur as we find new ways of reaching out?
- How can digital humanities help us recognize and address experiences of loneliness, struggle, misery, togetherness, and joyfulness?
You may also want to consider whether your topic is best suited for a lightning talk (up to 10 minutes), a presentation (20 minutes + 10 minute Q&A), or a workshop (75 minutes, hands on). You can see the full Call for Proposals here or go straight to the submission page here. If you have any questions in the meantime, please reach out to the lead conference coordinator, Donna Kain (kaind@ecu.edu). The proposal deadline is November 2, 2020 (extended to November 9, 2020)
The North Carolina Digital Humanities Collaborative is a diverse and welcoming space for new and experienced digital humanities scholars and practitioners to share fresh ideas and projects. We hope you will share this invitation widely and connect with us broadly!