Call for papers for the fifth Global Arts Symposium at Ohio University

The College of Fine Arts and partnering departments across Ohio University invite creative researchers, teachers and practitioners in the arts to address the theme of “Intersections: Arts and Health,” as part of the fifth Global Arts Symposium to be held April 2-3 at Ohio University.

This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Marisol Norris, founder and CEO of the Black Music Therapy Network, Inc., and director of the Music Therapy and Counseling Master’s Program at Drexel University. She is a leading scholar-activist in music therapy whose work centers on musical placemaking within Black communities. Dr. Norris teaches internationally on the human need for wholeness and the liberatory function of artistic processes to deepen the capacity for relational experience. Her work has been featured in media outlets, including Rolling Stone and Vogue, and has contributed to the international discourse of applied music-based research through platforms such as The Sound Health Network.

Past years keynote lectures have featured seminal composer, Dr. Mark Phillips in 2023, Ben Dotsei Malor in 2022 and Dr. Kofi Agawu in 2024. The fifth Global Arts Festival Symposium will explore the intersections of art and health. This Symposium brings together artists, educators, healthcare professionals, policymakers and researchers to share innovative approaches and cutting-edge research. The Symposium is not just a gathering; it's a catalyst for change. It's a platform to discover how the arts transform healthcare and how healthcare informs it. Join us to ignite creativity, foster collaboration, and reimagine the future of arts and health. We anticipate an audience of approximately 500-700 attendees.

We are eagerly awaiting proposals, that cover the following areas: Arts in Healthcare (performing, literary, visual arts, and design); Role of Arts in Community Development; Arts in Traditional, Complementary, and Alternative Healing Practices; Performing Arts Medicine; Arts and Wellness; Arts and Mental Health; Human-centered Design; Creative Arts Therapies; Arts and Public Health; Medical Humanities; Arts in Community Health; Arts and Medicine; Arts and Self-care; Arts and Psychology; Interdisciplinary Arts and Health; Artistic Interventions for Children; Artistic Interventions after COVID-19 and other Global Pandemics; among other ideas.

Your ideas and contributions are what make this Symposium truly special. We welcome a variety of formats including individual papers, roundtables, workshops, panels, posters, performances, films and other research and creative activity forms.

The symposium is accepting submissions on a rolling basis through Dec. 15, 2024. Find the full Call for Papers details and submit online. Early submissions are highly encouraged.

Those with questions can contact Festival and Symposium Director, Prof. Paschal Younge at youngep@ohio.edu.