# Call for Participation


The Designing Interfaces for Creativity (DesInC) Symposium will be held at the University of Sussex in Brighton, UK, on November 3rd and 4th 2016. As computational technologies become increasingly embedded in the physical world, designers and makers of interfaces for creativity are bringing skills and expertise from progressively wider fields and practices into their work. What and how can designers of creative technologies learn from practitioners in broader design disciplines, past and present? The symposium will explore interdisciplinary and historical perspectives on the design of tools, interfaces and instruments for creativity, including (but not limited to) sound, music, video, film, crafts, visual arts, software arts and gaming. Members of creative technology communities will join practitioners from wider interdisciplinary design fields and experts in historical design practices, for two days of workshops, keynote presentations, demos, discussions and performances. The event seeks to reach across and beyond academia, and welcomes contributions from industry, maker and artistic communities, and beyond.


## Themes

* Designing instruments, tools and interfaces for creative applications
* Historical design practices for creative tools and instruments
* Hacking/making approaches to design for creativity
* Knowledge and skill preservation in design
* New techniques and technologies for creativity
* Interdisciplinary approaches to designing creative interfaces
* Future directions in design and creativity

## Keynotes

The first confirmed keynote speaker is Andrey Smirnov, author of ‘Sound in Z: Experiments in Sound and Electronic Music in Early 20th Century Russia’. More keynote speakers are to be confirmed.


## Submissions

Contributions are invited for poster presentations, interactive demos, workshops and performances.


### Posters Presentations and Interactive Demos


With an emphasis in the symposium on discussion and knowledge exchange, the free-flow poster and demo session will enable delegates to share and discuss their work. Technical and interactive demonstrations are welcomed as part of this session.

Please submit a one-page abstract describing the work you wish to present, highlighting the relevance to the symposium themes.


### Workshops and Tutorials


The first day of the symposium will comprise a series of workshops for delegates. If you would like to organise a workshop or tutorial, please submit a 1-2 page abstract describing the proposed session. Proposals should include full details of technical requirements, and a 150-word biography of each tutor. Workshops and tutorials should be designed to run for 4 - 5 hours, and should emphasise practical and interactive engagement for participants.


### Performances


Performance submissions that engage with the symposium themes are welcomed.

Selected performances will take place in the newly opened Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts at the University of Sussex. This is a 360-capacity venue, with state-of-the-art stage, lighting, sound and multimedia facilities.


Performance proposals should be 1-2 pages in length, and include (a) a 150-word biography for each performer, (b) a description of the performance, (c) links to online resources that document the proposed performance (videos are encouraged) and (d) a detailed technical rider.


## Submission Process


All submissions should be emailed to c.kiefer@sussex.ac.uk with ‘[DesInC Submission]’ in the email subject. Please make your submission in PDF format, and specify the submission category. A programme committee at the University of Sussex will select submissions for acceptance. Proposals will be chosen based on academic, technical or artistic quality, relevance to the symposium themes, and to provide a broad range and balance of participation from different sectors and fields. If you have any further enquires, please contact c.kiefer@sussex.ac.uk.


## Important Dates

Submission deadline: 8th September 2016

Notification of acceptance: 23rd September 2016

Symposium: 3rd and 4th November 2016


## Attending

Participation and attendance of event will be free for both days, and priority will be given to accepted participants who can attend the full symposium. A limited supply of small travel bursaries will be available to accepted applicants who do not have institutional support. The symposium (including workshops and performances) will take place at the University of Sussex, in the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts.


This event is funded by the British Academy, and supported by the Sussex Humanities Lab.