Professing Creativity: Teaching Creative Writing in Aotearoa

 Dates: Wednesday 12 February– Friday 14 February 2014

Venue: Massey University, Wellington Campus

Call for papers

What is the state of teaching Creative Writing in New Zealand? What standards do we share? Where is the discipline headed and what are we doing about it?

This conference will serve as an initial discussion about some of the foundational issues around our diverse and emerging discipline in Aotearoa. Is it diverse, for instance? Is it a discipline? Is it emerging? Arising out of issues around expectations for creative theses, the conference has a special focus on postgraduate issues in Creative Writing. Professing Creativity will also feature a panel discussion on creative writing, which will join national and international teachers in a dialogue around some of the big issues in the field.

By 15 November, 2013 submit a 300 word abstract related to the following themes:

Purpose of the profession: what is creative writing in New Zealand today? What will it be tomorrow?

 

Marrying creative & critical: What is a creative-critical thesis? What expectations do we have as supervisors and examiners?

 

Biculturalism in the Classroom: How do issues of Maori identity and access shape our teaching? What changes are needed?

 

Writing in the Tower: In what ways does creative writing as postgraduate research differ from creative writing outside of the academy?

 

Doctor of What: What is the creative PhD and what should it be? What issues do we face in the moderation and examination of creative work? What distinguishes the creative PhD from the Masters?

 

Playing it Loose: What role do theatre and media script writing have in Creative Writing?

 

Where in the World: How does teaching in New Zealand fit into an international context?

 Key Note Speakers

Joan Connor, University of Ohio

Michele Leggott, University of Auckland

Kevin Brophy, University of Melbourne

Angie Farrow, Massey University

Panel Chair: Damien Wilkins, International Institute of Modern Letters

 Registration Costs

Standard conference registration: $60

Student registration: $25

Visitor day rate: $30

An additional fee will apply for those who’d like to attend the conference dinner.

Online registration details will be available from 1 December.

 Creative Writing Consortium

The Professing Creativity Conference is also intended as the kick-off for an ongoing consortium of creative writing teachers intended to keep the discussion active and assist us with such practical issues as finding examiners for postgraduate work. If you’re unable to attend the conference but would like to be involved in the consortium, please contact Nicholas Allen (nicholas.peter.allen@gmail.com) and let him know.

Key Dates

 15 November, 2013: Abstracts due

 1 December, 2013: Online Conference registration open (early bird rates apply)

 26 January, 2014: Online Conference registration closes (additional registration available during the conference)

 12 February – 14 February: Professing Creativity Conference

 Contact

Please send abstracts and general enquiries to Conference Coordinator, Nicholas Allen, at nicholas.peter.allen@gmail.com

 Professing Creativity Conference Committee

Thom Conroy	Jack Ross
Angie Farrow	Bryan Walpert
Joy GreenClaire Grant	Tina MakeretiJulie McKenzie