Call for Papers: Co-Authored Narratives

About the Open Call

How can co-authored creative practices challenge dominant ways of making and telling stories? This summer, Side will host Co-Authored Narratives, a symposium exploring collective authorship approaches to film and photography as a distinctive artistic practice embedded in the North of England (and across other areas of the UK) - highlighting it as a globally relevant method for social and cultural engagement. Drawing inspiration from pioneering models such as the Amber Film & Photography Collective, whose decades-long practice defined how stories are told with communities rather than about them in the North East of England - the symposium will focus on how co-authorship creates space for new perspectives, particularly those often overlooked in mainstream art and media. We’re calling for presentations on artistic and documentary methods that prioritise shared narratives, emotional truth, and long-term engagement over detached observation. This includes work in both photography and docudrama film, where creative collaboration and long-term social engagement are used to produce emotionally resonant and authentic representations of lived experience. We welcome proposals from artists, researchers, curators, educators, and collectives working across disciplines. Presentations may take the form of artistic research, community projects, films, installations, or provocations. We particularly encourage voices from working-class, post-industrial, and regional backgrounds, and those exploring how creative collaboration can speak to contemporary issues - from climate justice to inequality. This is an opportunity to come together, reflect on methods of making that centre care, trust, and collaboration - and consider how these practices can shape the future of socially engaged art.

What is Offered

An honorarium of £150 will be paid per paper/presentation for selected participants not from research funded institutions/educational establishments/museums or collections. Speakers will receive a free ticket to the symposium and a free copy of the resulting newspaper-style publication.

Requirements

Proposals are welcomed from artists, researchers, curators, educators, and collectives working across disciplines. Presentations may be artistic research, community projects, films, installations, or provocations. Applicants must confirm they will be present in person at the symposium in Newcastle upon Tyne on Friday, August 29, 2025. Travel and accommodation costs are not covered.

How to Apply

Submissions should be made using our online form, only complete applications will be accepted. The submission link is: https://forms.gle/Ufo7ERiFk43Vshtx9.