Status update: 2020 Annual Conference and COVID-19 Unfortunately, due to new regulations around COVID-19 prevention measures, the 2020 Annual Conference will NOT take place from 1 - 3 April as planned. This follows guidance from our host Universities that prevents meetings of more than 50 people taking place on campus before the end of April 2020. We are currently looking into options of rescheduling the conference for later in the year and will advise on whether this can be organised as soon as we can. [updated 13.03.20]
Q.What happens in terms of tickets and refunds? A.We are currently looking into the possibility of rescheduling this event for later in the year. If we can we will offer delegates the option to reschedule. If we can't reschedule the 2020 Annual Conference we will be able to transfer your ticket for the 2021 Annual Conference in Birmingham next April. Failing that we will refund your ticket.
Q. Do I need to be a member to attend or propose or present a session/paper? A. You do not need to be a member to attend or propose or present a paper or session. Our Annual Conferences, like all our events, are open to everyone. However, members of the Association do receive a discounted ticket price, but standard tickets apply for individuals and concessions (see FAQs about ticket prices and eligibility below).
Q. Can I propose papers for more than one session? A. Yes, you can propose multiple papers, but you can only present a paper in one session. So, if your paper is accepted for more than one session you will need to choose which session you want to present in.
Q. Can I convene a session and present a paper? A. You can present a paper in your own session, but not in another session.
Questions about tickets, paying and eligibility
Q. Do speakers and convenors have to pay to attend? A. All delegates, including speakers and convenors must pay to attend (which is standard practice for many academic conferences). There are no specific tickets for speakers and convenors. If you are a speaker or convenor choose the ticket option that applies to you. For example, if you are a student and speaker then opt for the student/concession ticket.
Q. Why is the conference ticketed in this way? A. The Association for Art History is a charity and our Annual Conference is run as a sustainable event. Because we often work with University conference offices, who charge us commercial rates, we need to cover event costs, such as venue hire, catering, security, technical and facilities. We ensure that our Annual Conference tickets are comparable to, or cheaper than, similar academic conferences. We keep ticket prices as low as possible and consistent year on year if we can. Conference ticket prices are often determined in relation to the commercial charges that we have to pay to deliver the event.
Q. What does my ticket cover? A. Your Annual Conference ticket includes access to all sessions, keynotes, receptions and conference fringe activities. The ticket also includes morning and afternoon refreshments, buffet lunch on Thursday 2 April, some visits and access to the bookfair. Tickets do not include lunch on Wednesday 1 April and Friday 3 April, evening meals, accommodation, parking and paying visits.
Q. Can I pay to attend just one session/paper? A. Whilst we aim to make the event as flexible and accessible as possible for people, we currently only offer day-rate options, not tickets for single sessions or papers.
Q. If I want to come for one day only should I specify which day? A. Yes please. You should choose the one-day ticket for the day you require.
Q. Am I eligible for a member ticket if my institution has organisational membership? A. Yes, if you are one of the named people attached to the organisational membership.
Q. Am I eligible for a concession ticket? A. Concessionary tickets apply to delegates, convenors and speakers who are students or have an annual income below £20,000. You may be asked to provide proof of your concessionary status when you register at the event.
Q. Will I receive an actual ticket? A. You should receive booking confirmation by email (check your spam folders as well as your primary inbox). We encourage you to keep a copy of this booking for your records and reference. When you arrive at Registration at the Annual Conference your name will be checked on a list of bookers and you will be given your delegate badge and any additional information that you have requested.
Questions about support and provisions
Q. Do you offer any conference grants or bursaries? A. Yes, we offer a number of bursaries for Doctoral and Early Career Researchers wishing to attend the conference. There are competitive bursaries and allocated on basis of highest need for support. We also run a grants scheme for which members of the association are eligible to apply for support of up to £1000 towards research, professional practice and teaching and learning of art history, under which conference attendance is applicable.
Q. Can you provide me with a letter of support/invitation for my visa application? A. If you are a confirmed speaker or convenor at the Annual Conference, then yes we can provide letters for use for visa application. We do not issue visa letters for delegates who are not convening a session or presenting a paper in a session.
Q. Do you provide printed copies of the Conference Programme? A. In our continued efforts to make the conference as environmentally friendly as possible and to reduce waste where possible, we try to limit what we print and produce. 2020 Annual Conference will see further reductions in printed materials, including a printed programme. We encourage all delegates to use the digital versions of the programme and timetable, but we can provide printed copies if requested.
Q. Can I bring a guest to see my session/paper only? A. Anyone attending the conference needs to purchase an appropriate ticket and be registered. This is not just our policy but increasingly important in terms of knowing who’s at the event and on the premises at any one time.
Q. Will papers be translated and/or delivered in different languages? A. Because this is a UK based academic conference papers are usually delivered in English unless specific arrangements have been made for a translator to be present or the paper to be made available in another language as the request of the speaker or convenor.
Q. Will transcripts of papers be made available after the conference? A. We do not currently make available transcripts of papers before or after the event largely because there are so many of them (often over 300) and also because many of the research papers presented are part of an individual’s research practices, and therefore their own intellectual property. The Association for Art History does not own the research presented at the Annual Conference.
Q. How can I contact the organisers with any questions? A. For Annual Conference booking enquiries, and other questions, please contact the Association for Art History main office, details for which you’ll find online at www.forarthistory.org.uk
Questions about refunds and cancellations
Q. What is the refund policy? A. We offer a 30-day full refund policy up until 1 March 2020. No refunds will be made after 1 March. Cancellations made beyond this date will be non-refundable, but pre-paid bookings may be transferable to the next Annual Conference depending upon circumstances.
Questions about the Conference experience and who the event is for
Q. What is the Annual Conference like? A. The conference prides itself on promoting broad and inclusive art history from within and outside of the UK.
Taking place over 3 days, the international annual academic conference hosts around 35- 40 panel sessions and around 300 research papers within different panels. Research papers are about art, art history and visual culture, but cover many different topics, periods, practices and fields of research.
There are also keynotes presented by prominent people involved in arts, humanities and culture. Keynotes are often followed by evening drinks receptions. The conference includes a fringe programme of sessions focused on areas of professional development or practice, local visits & tours, workshops, film screens and exhibitors.
The Annual Conference hosts international research and delegates from all around the world. Delegates are often university or college academics, curators, researchers, doctoral and post-doctoral students, artists and other practitioners and anyone else with a research interest in art history and visual culture. Publishers and editors also attend and exhibit at the conference.
There is a huge range of cross disciplinary papers and presenters, not everyone who attends is an art historian, there are many people whose research or work encompasses art history, such as areas of social history, visual anthropology, art practice, architecture, sociology, written and visual languages, etc.
