The annual Creative Practice Colloquium for 2026 takes place on 9-10 July 2026 at Westmere House, University of Birmingham, UK. With this year’s theme, we’d like to respond to urgent questions surrounding voice, authority, authorship and mediation within creative and critical practice. CPC 2026 creates an exploratory space to examine the ethical implications of writing others, filming others and speaking about or through others, with particular attention to consent, power and positionality. 

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Across disciplines, researchers are increasingly working with and representing communities, histories and identities beyond their own. We encourage participants to engage with the discomfort this brings; and collectively question, discuss, expand, and create, through and around it. 

 

 In keeping with the colloquium’s ‘unconference’ concept, we will be introducing new participatory activities and adopting a more flexible format for the keynote speeches.  

  

 

This year’s two-day colloquium will feature a keynote speaker each day: we are delighted to welcome Dr. Berenike Jung (University of Southampton) and Dr. Winnie M Li (University of Birmingham) as our keynote speakers!  

 

The programme includes a mini-workshop on interpreting, performing and filming others. By directly experiencing the dynamics of representation and being represented in the creative process, we hope participants will engage with the theme of creative ethics in a novel and playful way. Following the previous colloquiums' tradition, the second day will be a making day: creating a space for dedicated practice, followed by the opportunity to share, discuss and reflect upon the work; as well as the ideas exchanged throughout the colloquium.  

  

Creative Practice Colloquium 2026 is organised by postgraduate researchers at the University of Birmingham's Department of Film and Creative Writing. We are supported by B-Film at the University of Birmingham, the Film and Creative Writing department at the University of Birmingham, and the University of Birmingham College of Arts and Law Graduate School Community Development Fund.   

  

We welcome all members of the public who might be interested as well as doctoral students and academics undertaking creative practice research. 

 

  

Dates: July 9-10 2026 

Location: Westmere House, University of Birmingham  

  

To apply, please fill in this Google Form with a short summary of your practice and why you’d like to attend. There will be refreshments, including tea and coffee, as well as lunch served on both days of the colloquium, free of charge. 

The daily timetable will follow very soon! 

 

We look forward to welcoming you at Westmere House in July,  

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Best wishes, 

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Emma Dandy, Carlotta Ottonello, Kadie Newman, Qinran (Leo) Wang and

Holly Winter-Hughes