Call for expressions of interest
The Society for Renaissance Studies seeks expressions of interest in relation to hosting the Society’s biennial conference in 2025 or 2027. The conference has a strong reputation for collegiality, innovation and support of ECRs, and draws a large number of delegates from the UK, Ireland, the rest of Europe and beyond. In recent (pre-pandemic) years, our conferences have been held at Sheffield, Glasgow, Southampton, Manchester and York, with our July 2023 conference, on ‘Difficult Pasts’ to be co-hosted by University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University. Attendee numbers range from 150-250 delegates, and the venue will need both large theatres for 3 or 4 plenary lectures, as well as a large number of smaller seminar rooms for paper panels and roundtables. The expression of interest should include details of the following: theme and rationale; organising committee; venue(s) and travel logistics; preliminary budget; any potential special events/partnerships with local organisations or institutions.
We warmly welcome discussion with potential hosts in the UK, Ireland or the rest of Europe (and ask that, post-Brexit, European applicants liaise with us early in the process), and offer support for potential applicants, as well as the eventual hosts. The Society offers some financial support to the conference hosts, but conferences are expected to be cost-neutral and break even; potential hosts should consider sources of additional local funding (which could take the form of in-kind contributions such as waiving venue hire fees). For further queries, please contact the Chair (jane.grogan@ucd.ie ) or Secretary (R.J.Willie@ljmu.ac.uk).
Expressions of interest should be sent to the Secretary of the Society, Dr Rachel Willie (R.J.Willie@ljmu.ac.uk) by 30 March 2023, with decision to be made in May, and formally announced at the Liverpool conference.