Call for Participation

The abstract process had undergone a re-focus and was referred to as the Call for Participation. 

(un)Common Ground is a space where old and new ideas collide, where understandings and priorities converge, and where conversations between colleagues and communities are navigated. (un)Common Ground is an exploration of what brings us together and what keeps us apart. It explores the blurred boundaries where commonalities and divisions intertwine. The theme invites reflections and conversations that explore the relationships, structures and gaps that define (or constrain) our sector. 

Delegates attentively listening to a conference presentation.

Call for Participation information session

AMaGA hosted an information session with AMaGA National Director, Katie Russell, and Chair of the AMaGA2024, Anthony Camm, the Conference Programming committee, and conference managers, Conlog. The information session discussed this year's conference theme: (un)COMMON GROUND and the AMaGA2024 team spoke to the expanded range of presentation formats and shared tips on how to best prepare your proposal.

To watch the recording of the information session, please click below.

information session

Sub-themes

Participants joined us in Ballarat on Wadawurrung Country for important conversations inspired by the theme of (un)Common Ground and the following sub-themes:

        ACTIVISM

  • Can museums and galleries genuinely be sites for activism given the entrenched power dynamics at play? 
  • Are radical voices and difficult ideas weakened by our institutionalised spaces? 
  • What relevance do ideas like safe spaces, censorship, controversy, and critical engagement have in shaping contemporary galleries and museums?

        COEXISTENCE

  • How can different knowledge systems co-exist with, enrich or challenge our established ways of working? 
  • Can respect for professional, ideological, cultural and other differences lead to collaborative outcomes which make a difference? 
  • With museums and galleries increasingly co-located with other cultural services, how do we nurture collaboration and maximise our community relevance and reach?

        GATEKEEPING

  • How does gatekeeping reveal itself across our sector? Is there a disconnect between community perceptions and how we see ourselves (or how we would like to be seen)? 
  • To what extent are communities welcomed into programming and collecting priorities and decision-making? 
  • Can different leadership approaches create deeper community engagement and ownership?

        INNOVATION

  • Have we run out of fresh ideas? Where do we find new ones? 
  • Are our well-established standards a barrier to innovation? 
  • How do we scrutinise our professional practices, confront our inherited museum models, and explore creative and collaborative ways of working?

Guidelines:

  • Online submission is the only method of proposal submission
  • Submissions can be saved as Draft in the Call for Participation portal but must be finalised to be considered
  • Proposals submitted for presentation will be published exactly as received and should be checked for spelling and grammar prior to submission
  • You may submit more than one proposal all under the same account
  • Proposals will only be accepted as 200-word text format abstracts. We recommend writing your proposal in Word and saving to your desktop prior to starting the submission process, then 'copy and paste' the proposal content into the relevant section
  • All proposals should be primarily in English. If English is not the first language of speakers/projects please provide details on how you will provide access for delegates (i.e., translator, subtitles…). If you need assistance with this, please contact the Program Committee
  • We are encouraging speakers to attend in person but can accommodate virtual speakers in advance. Certain sessions are in person only and will not be available virtually
  • It is the responsibility of the presenter/author to ensure that the proposal is submitted correctly. For assistance with proposal submissions, contact amaga@conlog.com.au.
  • It is the responsibility of the presenter/author to ensure their proposal explains how it relates to the themes
  • Where there is more than one presenter, all correspondence will be sent to the person who submitted the proposal
  • Every effort will be made to accommodate the presenter/author presentation preference however the Program Committee reserves the right to allocate the presentation to best suit the program
  • The invitation to submit a proposal does not constitute an offer to pay travel, accommodation or registration costs associated with the conference. Similarly, no presenter fee is paid to successful presenters
  • If your proposal is accepted, all speakers agree to register and pay the Early Bird Registration price. Bursary applications will be available via the registration site. 


#AMaGA2024
          

AMaGA acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, water, culture and community. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples; and to Elders past and present.