Welcome to the Dazzling World of Welsh Fashion

http://artschool.newport.ac.uk/smartclothes/

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SECOND CALL FOR PAPERS

Wearable Futures: Hybrid Culture in the Design and Development of Soft Technology

An Event organised by Smart Clothes Wearable Technology Research Group, University of Wales, Newport and PDR, University of Wales Institute Cardiff

in association with SCAN (Southern Collaborative Arts Network)

14 - 16 September 2005, University of Wales, Newport, WALES, UK

Keynotes:

Suzanne Lee, Senior Research Fellow at Central Saint Martins, Fashion Consultant and author of Fashioning the Future pub Thames and Hudson Sept 2005

Joanna Berzowska, Artist and Assistant Professor of Design and Computation Arts at Concordia University in Montreal

Sarah E. Braddock Clarke, Lecturer, Curator and Writer. Co Author of Techno Textiles, SportsTech and Techno Textiles2 pub 2005

Chris Baber University of Birmingham, Reader in Interactive Systems

Deadline for Abstracts: 14th March 2005

This two day International conference will aim to contextualise the future potential of Wearable Technologies in a variety of fields ranging from military application to fine art.

Wearable Futures is an interdisciplinary conference, which aims to bring together practitioners, inventors, and theorists in the field of soft technology and wearables including those concerned with fashion, textiles, sportswear, interaction design, media and live arts, medical textiles, wellness, perception and psychology, IPR, polymer science, nanotechnology, military, and other relevant research strands.

We will be examining how some broad generic questions will be explored in relation to wearable technology including but not restricted to: aesthetics and design, function and durability versus market forces; the desires, needs and realities of wearable technologies; technology and culture; simplicity and sustainability; design for wearability; wearables as theatre and wearables as emotional 'tools'.

Key fundamental questions across the conference in relation to wearables are:

What is out there?

Who wants it?

What do they want?

How is it achieved?

(((Wow! What good questions!)))

Please submit an abstract of no more than 400 words in a Word document format by: 14th March 2005 to: [email protected]

For further information please refer to the conference website:

http://artschool.newport.ac.uk/smartclothes

Abstracts and full papers will be peer reviewed and if accepted published in the Conference Proceedings. A selection from the full papers will also be considered for publication in a themed addition of the international journal 'A.I. & Society' (SPRINGER)

Abstracts may be offered as long papers (30 minutes includes questions), short papers (20 minutes includes questions) or for poster presentations.

Poster presentations are particularly welcomed from postgraduate students.

NB: Please note final submission for full papers has been changed to 6th June 2005

Committee currently includes:

Chris Baber, Reader, University of Birmingham

Joanna Berzowska, Assistant Professor, University in Montreal

Sarah E. Braddock Clarke, Author & Lecturer

Julia Cassim, Helen Hamlyn Research Centre, Royal College of Art

Andrew Chetty, Arts Consultant

Carole Collet, Director Textile Futures, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design

Joan Farrer, Reader, Royal college of Art

Frances Geesin, Research Fellow, London College of Fashion

Rory Hamilton, Interactive Design, Royal college of Art

Jane Harris, Senior Research Fellow, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design

Ros Hibbert, Textile Consultant

Suzanne Lee, Senior Research Fellow, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design

Alan Lewis, Director of Research, University of Wales Institute Cardiff

Jane McCann, Researcher, University of Wales, Newport

Stephen Scrivener, Research Professor, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design

Mick Siddons, Consultant, CR8ive Solutions Ltd

Helen Sloan, Director, SCAN

David Smith, Reader, University of Wales, Newport