Open Call for Hosts: APARN 2026 Conference

http://aparn.net

1. Introduction & Background

The Asia Pacific Artistic Research Network (APARN) was initiated as a collaboration between the Centre of Visual Art, University of Melbourne and the Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta in 2019. The purposes of the network are to map artistic research initiatives and activities; provide a regional framework for sharing and practical collaboration between individuals and institutions; and develop an understanding of local cultural dynamics influencing artistic research activities in the Asia Pacific region.

APARN is an academic and artistic network supported by volunteers and not affiliated with any specific institution in the region. The network is a Special Interest Group of the Society for Artistic Research. Members of the group connect via the Google Group which is free for anyone in or with an interest in the region to join. APARN also produces a channel for the Journal for Artistic Research.

Our inaugural meeting was held in October 2019 in association with the International Conference on Asia Pacific Arts Studies in Yogyakarta. The convenors have each undertaken to host a meeting in the Asia Pacific region with their own resources and funding and also function as convenors of the Special Interest Group for SAR. These in-person (not hybrid) conferences in the region complement an annual online meetup aligned with the Society for Artistic Research conference and forum.

After the success of the 2024 conference in Cyberjaya, Malaysia at Multimedia University, the Department of Dramatic Arts at Chulalongkorn University hosted the recent 2025 conference in Bangkok, Thailand, which had over 150 presenters from 22 countries.

The APARN convenors now invite organisations to submit proposals to host the 2026 edition of the conference in our first Open Call.

2. Hosting Responsibilities

The conference will be managed independently by the appointed host organisation, and we expect that the format will be developed to suit local cultural and institutional needs and be commensurate with available resources and potential funds. 

APARN’s hopes for the 2026 conference are:

1. for the host organisation to use the event to galvanise support for artistic research in their own specific country and institution; 
2. for those attending from elsewhere in the region to gain an experience of the local context, alongside the networking opportunities with their peers in the APARN network;
3. for a member of the host organisation to join the convenors’ group to collaborate with the other APARN convenors on the network’s overall development and future plans.

While the conferences to date have been organized at relatively low costs with mostly voluntary labour, we encourage conference hosts to raise their own funds. The APARN conference convenors will be able to provide letters of support to help hosts raise funds.

As well as coordinating the conference, we encourage hosts to use the APARN channel on the Journal for Artistic Research for content from the conference, which may function as a venue for proceedings, or may include presentations that supplement other publication plans. The host will be responsible for managing editorial production of the network’s review of APARN 2026 generated research activities that is published on the channel, and contributing to related developments on APARN’s website if required. 

APARN convenors are available to support hosts through general advice, letters of support, and broader connections to their networks.

3. Submission Guidelines

Interested organisations should submit a proposal (max 10 pages) including:

• Rationale - briefly state why hosting this conference is important for your organisation and its current and future plans. 
• Organisational Profile: Experience in hosting similar events, access to relevant facilities. Also, biographical information on who from the conference team might join the convenors' group.
• Local Context: Travel logistics, accessibility, accommodation options, supplementary activities.
• Financial Approach: Funding/sponsorship plans and financial management.
• Sustainability & Inclusivity: Efforts to reduce environmental impact and promote diversity.

4. Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be assessed by the convenors based on:

1. Organisational Capability: Does the organisation and its partners have demonstrated experience, partnerships, and resources to deliver?
2. Potential for Local Impact: Is there a compelling narrative for the impact of the symposium on the local artistic research environment? 
3. Contribution to APARN: What skills, resources and interests can the organisation and a potential convenor bring to the APARN group in the long term? 
4. Accessibility: How does the proposal work toward inclusivity of artistic researchers locally and across the region?
5. Innovative Approaches: Unique programming or networking opportunities, potential to avoid it being “another European-style conference”

5. Selection Timeline

Proposal Deadline to 2026@aparn.net: 10th August 2025 
Shortlisting complete and applicants notified: 16th August 2025
Interviews with shortlisted candidates: 19/20 August 2025
Decision announced: 27th August 2025

6. Additional Notes

• APARN is not only for academic institutions and applications from non-academic organisations and partnerships are welcomed.
• There are no specific requirements for length and scale of the meeting, though inclusive approaches are preferred.
• Access is an important principle for the network, and preference will be given to proposals that work toward free or low-cost participation. 
• Proposals can include a publication strategy in addition to the Journal for Artistic Research channel, for example they can propose special issues of specific journals or other publications. 
• The APARN convenors’ group encourages the proposer to set the overall theme and presentation strategy for the event, but will retain a right of approval over program content associated with APARN’s name. 
• It is not expected that all proposed details and partnerships are confirmed at the time of submission. 
• We encourage individuals or groups with a strong interest to reach out for dialogue before submitting the proposal.
  

7. Next Steps

Interested parties should submit proposals or questions to 2026@aparn.net. We look forward to collaborating with a dynamic host for our next gathering in 2026!

http://aparn.net

APARN Convenors:

Kurniawan Adi Saputro
Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
kurniawan.as@isi.ac.id

Danny Butt
Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne
butt@unimelb.edu.au

Pornrat Damrhung
Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok
dpornrat@gmail.com

Gunalan Nadarajan
Penny W. Stamps School of Art and Design, University of Michigan
guna@umich.edu

Roopesh Sitharan
Multimedia University – MMU Cyberjaya
rs@mmu.edu.my