The call for abstract has been extended to the 4th February 2019 – Academy for Design Innovation Management
Call 2019
Initiate, sustain, expand
The value of socially engaged practices in social
change
Call for Abstracts extended: Monday 4 February 2019
Socially Engaged Design Conference (SED) is a two-day event that discusses how
researchers and practitioners propose and implement solutions to tackle contemporary
societal issues.
SED 2 will explore the role of art and design in driving social change. Under the umbrella
the theme of socially engaged practices through the arts and design (current and future) the
speakers will present and debate their stance on political theories, democracy, the actual
the impact of socially engaged practices, social cities and co-design.
Themes
01 / Art, Design & Politics
02 / Socially Engaged Practices & Democracy
03 / The future of Socially Engaged Practices
04 / Social cities
Important dates
Submission of Abstracts: 11 January 2019 4 February 2019
Reviews to authors: 12 April 2019
Submission of Workshop proposals: 3 May 2019
Notification to accepted Workshops: 26 July 2019
Camera Ready Papers: 13 September 2019
Submissions are made through the EasyChair management system
For more information on the conference, themes and submission guidelines please visit
www.sedconference.com
For any queries contact the organising committee
[email protected]
01 / Art, Design & Politics
Art and design can be used, as political instruments in the form of activism or, as a medium
to discuss possible or better futures. Politics itself can also be understood as a form of
design, since it involves planning, decision- making and law-devising. What are the practices
and issues related to public space, democracy, equality and participation and how can
activist art and design influence the fields of democracy and participation? What is the role of
socially engaged practices in times of political and cultural crisis?
02 / Socially Engaged Practices & Democracy
Socially engaged practices encourage participation and changes within communities. Direct
engagement is a true democratic model of tangibility and influence that yields change where
it is needed most: the places where we live. What are the dynamics of socially engaged
practices within the current societal challenges and needs? How can we advance
democratic practice within a local level through socially engaged practices, and how, through
these practices, can we affect democracy in our everyday lives? Moreover, how can socially
engaged practices themselves become a democratic practice when we deal with issues of
co-authorship and co-design?
03 / The future of Socially Engaged Practices
Our design choices and practices were and are reflected in our society. Altering and
morphing constantly upon the needs and wants of the ever-evolving cultures we build,
maintain and grow. We participate, collaborate and act. We reconsider everything in search
of social change. Terms such as innovation, future trends, prototyping, peer-to-peer learning
and user-centric thinking constitute the foundation of the vocabulary associated with
transforming systems.
How can we create a system that allows us to tackle the tangible problems of our society
before they become one more representation of the past? In which direction should socially
engaged practices expand to allow for even more meaningful and sustainable
transformation? How can this field start participating in decision and policy-making at the
highest political and legislative level? Where do Universities, NGOs, start-ups and innovative
businesses fit into the equation? In short, where to now for socially engaged practices?
04 / Social cities
The future of our cities is at the core of discourses taking place on political, entrepreneurial,
legal, academic and professional levels. Dream cities (resilient, inclusive, accessible,
championing equality, environmentally, technologically and financially sustainable) are high
on the political agenda. Although some urbanised clusters are perceived as successful
social environments, others struggle to be friendly to their inhabitants and to offer a balanced
social experience. Within this framework, can we as socially engaged practitioners to propose
fresh, imaginative, financially viable and inclusive objectives and processes to truly support a
wholesome lifestyle and propel the quality of our livelihood? Solutions that, will include
citizens in their making and, will not only allow the progression of a city (in historical,
infrastructural or financial terms) but also respect the unexpected results of their originators?
Can we fulfil these goals and still place emphasis on small-scale change, and preserve the
idiosyncrasies of everyday life? Or are we at risk of weakening the distinctiveness of our
cities, diminishing diversity and increasing the privatisation of public space in pursuit of all of
the above?
Please find more details at https://sedconference.com/