Call for Papers: Shadow Play

A call goes out for papers for the first international Illustration Symposium in Cardiff.

With Cardiff School of Art and Design, the Wales Millennium Centre and Chapter Arts.
In association with Material Ludlow & Carnaby Street, and the Courtyard Press.

Shadow Play: Alchemy, Redolence and Enchantment

2nd – 4th November 2010

Please propose papers around the following themes, and be bold, like Vasilisa; Alchemy*, Redolence** and Enchantment***

Be prepared to go beyond with Alchemy – do not be wary of conjuring with Redolence or enrapturing through Enchantment.

A call for papers asks for submissions of abstracts exploring these themes, but is also open to papers, which may be a contrast, to debate or discover new ground not yet considered. The point of the symposium is not only to celebrate, talk about, and bring illustrators together but to also invite artists, writers, musicians, actors, playwrights, storytellers, architects, and filmmakers to offer their views, ideas, and
possibilities for illustration, and for content. Illustration is, after all, about everything, and in looking at the themes of Alchemy, Redolence and Enchantment, there may be other factors which can add to this, open up questions for debate and further research.

As the first symposium, and the beginning of research into illustration in Cardiff this symposium seeks to find new areas for enquiry and dig deeper into areas which already exist, but particularly and initially,
illustration for a growing audience and the space between literature and illustration, the frission, both sexual and teenage, of text and image and what happens in ones imagination.

* ‘Any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value.’

** In this instance I interpret redolence from E.M Forster’s marvellous, yet sad story, ‘Howards End’, in which the first Mrs Wilcox is discussing, with Miss Schlegal, her beloved home. Miss
Schlegal describes it as ‘so redolent’, which I understand to mean that it is a sensory memory; a memory which tastes, smells, redirects one into the past, to a place, generally in childhood, which transcends the now into then.

*** Charm, Marina Warner has described as largely missing from today’s society and images, the power of charm through the process of enchantment is something which illustration has a duty to do, to combine both alchemy and redolence and the hope of redolence to take an audience, be it a collective on or an individual, to and through enchantment to enlightenment and understanding much a s a fairytale would do, focusing on the importance of enchantment in the coming of age, and the memory of growing.

The symposium wishes to question, delight, inspire and discuss the impact of these disciplines in the shadows and in our time; how storytelling, picture making and imagination can make a difference and make better our too often un-enriched world.

Deadline for submission of abstracts: Monday 12 July 2010 to

Maximum 700 words (excluding quotes) Maximum 10 images (or equivalent film/animation/other)

Questions or enquiries to Amelia Johnstone:

Confirmed key-note speakers so far include:

• Graham Rawle
• Sophie HerxheimerAnna Bhushan
• Dr Stephen Benson (Fairytale Scholar)