CFP-LGBT Focus Group of Alliance for Theatre in Higher Education

[Frank Miller]

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: The Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) will hold its annual conference August 8 - 11, 2009, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.  The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Theatre Focus Group invites proposals for the conference from scholars, graduate students, artists, and practitioners.
 
THEME: Risking Innovation
"Art demands creative approaches to exploring ideas, producing theatre, engaging others.  The AATE/ATHE 2009 conference invites you to chart new paths.  Join us in challenging assumptions, investigating global realities through local actions, designing transdisciplinary strategies that will extend our fields, developing a new approach to teaching, and risking innovation."

LGBT FOCUS GROUP THEME: Risqué Innovations
For the 2009 ATHE/AATE Conference, we would like to present a series of panels in a variety of formats dealing with the ways we take risks with our work, our scholarship and our lives.  How have artists in the past created new visions by writing out of LGBT bodies?  What do we do as teachers that puts us and our students at risk to expand ideas of the arts in education?  We welcome proposals of two kinds:

1-If you have a panel idea that fits under the umbrella theme, please include "Risqué Innovations" in your title so that we can list them as part of the series in the conference program.

2-If you have a presentation you want to deliver in whatever format (paper, performance, poster, etc.) but are not sure how to put it together in a panel, email LGBT Conference Planner Frank Miller at frnklin2001 at att.net with your title and abstract, and I'll work with Conference Group Representative John Fletcher and Conference Group Representative Elect Christopher Krejci to assemble panels with common themes under the umbrella title.

Though we will consider any proposals on LGBTQ theatre and performance, we are particularly interested in papers relating to the conference and focus group themes.  All ATHE members may submit proposals to the LGBT Focus Group.
 
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION
Proposals for full panels should be submitted on line. Visit http://www.riskinginnovation.com/ for directions.  The final deadline for all proposals is November 1, 2008.  In addition, please send a copy of your submission (you'll have to put this into a word document) to frnklin2001 at att.net.

If you want to submit a paper idea for inclusion under the "Risqué Innovations" title, please send LGBT Conference Planner Frank Miller your title and abstract at frnklin2001 at att.net by October 20, 2008.

LGBT will accept proposals for panel sessions with papers, poster sessions, performances, seminars, panel discussions, and other innovative formats.  Submissions may be either discipline specific (LGBT Focus Group only) or multidisciplinary (see below).  If you intend to list LGBT as a sponsor for a multidisciplinary panel, please notify LGBT Conference Planner Frank Miller at frnklin2001 at att.net.
 
Individual Papers and Assistance in Forming Panels: ATHE does not accept proposals for individual papers.  We encourage respondents to use ATHE’s listserv or the LGBT listserv to develop full panels before submitting individual papers.  However, to assist respondents in arranging panels, LGBT will accept 150-word abstracts of individual papers may not fall under the "Risqué Innovations" title through October 12, 2008.  Send the abstract by email to the LGBT Conference Planner at frnklin2001 at att.net.  If possible, the Conference Planner will group papers with similar themes and topics and will introduce 3 or 4 respondents to each other through email.  The respondents will then be responsible for submitting a panel proposal to ATHE by November 1, 2008.
 
Additional Information: Information on ATHE membership and conference costs is available at http://www.athe.org.
 
Debut Panel: A separate CFP for the Debut Panel (with a due date of 2/15/09) will be issued by issued shortly.
 
LGBT Theatre Focus Group Conference Planner:
Dr. Frank Miller
frnklin2001 at att.net
PO Box 4000
Department of Communication
Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA 30302-4000
404-413-5621 (office phone)
404-413-5634 (FAX)