CALL FOR PAPERS / ARTISTIC WORKS / TRANSDISCIPLINARY ACTIVITIES
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BALANCE – UNBaLANCe 2011
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http://balance-unbalance2011.hexagram.ca/
CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY
Montreal – Canada
November 4th and 5th, 2011

DESCRIPTION
The BALANCE-UNBALANCE conference will seek to bring artists together
with scientists, economists, philosophers, politicians, sociologists,
engineers, management and policy experts with the intent of
engendering a deeper awareness and creating lasting intellectual
working partnerships in solving our global environmental crisis.
Using art as a catalyst, BALANCE-UNBALANCE 2011 will explore
intersections between NATURE, ART, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY and SOCIETY as
we move into an era of both unprecedented ecological threats and
transdisciplinary possibilities.
BALANCE-UNBALANCE will call for two days of reflection, debate, and
the promotion of projects and actions regarding the environment and
our human responsibility at this defining moment in our history. The
conference will be held at Concordia University during November 4th
and 5th of 2011.
One of the main goals of this conference is to develop the role of the
arts and artists in dealing with environmental challenges.

SESSION FORMATS
– PAPER presentations: each paper will be presented in person by the author.
– ARTISTIC WORKS: will be presented mainly at Concordia University’s
fully equipped, 380-seat proscenium DB Clarke Theatre, located in the
heart of downtown Montreal
(http://finearts.concordia.ca/facilities/galleriesandvenues/performancevenues/dbclarketheatre/).
Artistic works could include performances (such as contemporary music,
dance, theatre and intermedia performances) and fixed media
presentations (such as: video, and possibly photography and
installations if conditions allows it). All proposals should have a
contemporary artistic approach and be self-managed; we will provide
the DB Clarke Theatre equipped with a video projector, a multi-speaker
sound system as well as lighting, however technical assistance will be
limited. There will be also a projector, a screen and an acoustic
grand piano at the entrance lobby.
– TRANSDISCIPLINARY ACTIVITIES: this is an open format area of the
conference that includes transdisciplinary workshops, creative
activities or even the proposal of a roundtable with specific goals
and participants, always focusing on key issues related to the main
theme of the conference.
Some examples of inter and transdisciplinary activities that will be
held during the conference can be found at:
http://balance-unbalance2011.hexagram.ca/

SUPPORTERS AND SPONSORS
The 2011 BALANCE-UNBALANCE conference is being supported by a number
of Concordia University academic areas as well as world renowned
organizations and institutions. Dr. Ricardo Dal Farra, chair of the
conference, comes courtesy of Concordia’s Music Department; Dr. Paul
Shrivastava and Andrew Ross contributions are possible thanks to
Concordia’s David O’Brien Centre for Sustainable Enterprise, and the
International Chair in Arts and Sustainable Enterprise ICN Business
School, Nancy, France. Current sponsors for the 2011 conference
includes: the Hexagram-Concordia Institute for Research/Creation In
Media Arts and Technologies, Concordia’s Faculty of Fine Arts, the
David O’Brien Centre for Sustainable Enterprise (DOCSE – JMSB),
Concordia’s Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and
Culture (CISSC), Concordia President’s Office, the Electronic Arts
Research Centre (CEIArtE) of the National University of Tres de
Febrero, Argentina and the Ear to the Earth worldwide network for
environmental sound art.

CONFERENCE ORGANISERS
The Organising Committee includes Concordia University
faculty-researchers coming from a wide range of fields.
With a still expanding list of remarkable contributors, the current members are:
– Dr. Sebastien Caquard, Dept. of Geography, Planning and Environment
– Dr. Carmela Cucuzzella, Dept. of Design and Computation Arts
– Dr. Ricardo Dal Farra, Dept. of Music / Chair, Balance-Unbalance conference
– Dr. Andra McCartney, Dept. of Communication Studies
– Dr. Paul Shrivastava, David O’Brien Centre for Sustainable Enterprise – JMSB
– Dr. Peter Stoett, Dept. of Political Sciences
The current Operations Committee members includes:
– Dr. Georges Dimitrov, Dept. of Music
– Paul Scriver, Dept. of Music and Dept. of Design and Computation Arts
– Eldad Tsabary, Dept. of Music

DATES
– Deadline for reception of proposals: August 2nd, 2011 (midnight,
Montreal’s time)
– Notification of acceptance: August 30th, 2011
– Confirmation of attendance: September 16th, 2011
– BALANCE-UNBALANCE 2011 conference: November 4th-5th, 2011

SUBMISSION PROCEDURES
– Paper presentation:
[1] an abstract (250 words or less);
[2] a short biography ready for printing (250 words or less); and
[3] links to your online CV and your web site.
Only online submissions are accepted:
http://balance-unbalance2011.hexagram.ca/Call.html
– Artistic works:
[1] title of your piece, duration, indication whether the presentation
will be a live performance or a presentation using fixed-media
support;
[2] a short description of your proposal (250 words or less);
[3] a short biography ready for printing (250 words or less);
[4] detailed technical needs; and
[5] links to your online CV and your web site.
[6] also includes links to sample material (audiovisual, etc.) hosted
in a non-expiring URL. Please DO NOT send your material using
yousendit or any similar applications, and DO NOT send your reference
material by email, only include the links with your submission.
Only online submissions are accepted:
http://balance-unbalance2011.hexagram.ca/Call.html
Artistic works could include performances (such as contemporary music,
dance, theatre and intermedia performances) and fixed media
presentations (such as: video, and possibly photography and
installations if conditions allows it). All proposals should have a
contemporary artistic approach and be self-managed, meaning that we
will be able to provide Concordia University’s fully equipped DB
Clarke Theatre with a video projector, a multi-speaker sound system as
well as lighting, however technical assistance will be limited. There
will be also a projector and a screen at the entrance lobby of the
same theatre as well as an acoustic grand piano.
– Transdisciplinary activities:
[1] an abstract ready for printing (250 words or less);
[2] full description of your proposal (750 words or less);
[3] detailed technical needs, if any (250 words or less);
[4] a short biography ready for printing (250 words or less); and
[5] links to your online CV and your web site.
Only online submissions are accepted:
http://balance-unbalance2011.hexagram.ca/Call.html
Send only proposals oriented to the goal of this conference as stated
on its description above.
Only clearly focused works to that end will be considered (please
consider our: “intent of engendering a deeper awareness and creating
lasting intellectual working partnerships in solving our global
environmental crisis”).
The conference organisers are not able to provide funding support for
travels or lodging, or fees for the presentations.

CONTACT and INFORMATION
Email: balance.unbalance2011@gmail.com
The BALANCE-UNBALANCE 2011 conference web site:
http://balance-unbalance2011.hexagram.ca/