Conference theme: “Arts Sustaining Language”

Language lives not only in grammar and lexicon but in the creative practices of its speakers, as expressed through song, story, performance, crafting, and visual arts. Though traditionally viewed as ancillary to the documentary process, these creative practices are increasingly being incorporated into language documentation workflows. Moreover, the arts play a critical role in furthering and supporting language maintenance and reclamation efforts, helping to sustain intergenerational transmission among minoritized, ancestral, and diaspora languages.

At ICLDC 2027 we hope to facilitate a dialogue that places artistic and creative practice at the heart of language documentation and conservation. The possibilities are vast. Oral literature, theatre, music, dance, visual arts, film, and digital media all offer pathways for strengthening speaker identity and language awareness, for reaching new generations of learners, and for documenting language in ways that recognize its creative potential. These possibilities also present challenges for the discipline. How do creative practices reshape documentation methodologies? How can collaborations between artists and language activists be structured equitably? What role do emerging media play in amplifying minoritized languages, and what risks do they carry? 

Following a format introduced at the ICLDC 2017, we are including 90-minute blocks to be dedicated to two alternative conference activities: Workshops and Talk Story sessions. 

Talk Story Sessions 

Introduced at ICLDC 2017 in response to participant feedback, ICLDC 2027 will again feature “Talk Story” sessions. These discussions will be led by an expert discussant and limited to 20-30 attendees per session. Each Talk Story will be repeated up to three days during the conference, allowing ample opportunity for conference attendees to participate in the Talk Story Sessions of their choice. Talk Story sessions are meant to be fully interactive for participants, rather than a one-directional presentation of information. This format may be particularly appropriate for discussion of issues related to the conference theme. 

Workshops

We also welcome proposals for Workshops on topics broadly relating to working with diaspora communities. Each 90-minute workshop will be held up to twice over the three days of the conference, allowing multiple opportunities for interested attendees to participate. Workshops will accommodate a larger number of participants and are intended to be more presentational and instructional in style than the Talk Story sessions. 

Travel Funding (pending funding availability)

We anticipate being able to offer partial travel assistance for each selected Workshop and Talk Story Session. Funds will be provided as (partial) flight reimbursements, hotel nights, or per diem payments, to be determined by the ICLDC Executive Committee. In the event that a Workshop or Talk Story Session is jointly presented by more than one individual, the presenter team will inform the ICLDC Executive Committee how to divide the award across the presenters. More information will be provided at the time of proposal acceptance. 

How to prepare your abstract proposal

• Content: Abstracts should describe the content of the proposed Workshop or Talk Story, indicating how it relates to the conference theme. 
• Abstract Length: Please limit your proposal to 400 words, not including references. 
• Summary: Please provide a summary of your abstract (50 words maximum), which will be used in the conference program if you are accepted.
• Biography: Please provide a 100-word biography describing the qualifications of each presenter. 
• File Format: Upload your abstract as a PDF or MS Word file. 
• Language: Abstracts should be submitted in English, but presentations can be in any language. We particularly welcome presentations in languages of the region discussed. 
• Authors may submit no more than one individual and one co-authored proposal (including participation in a paper, performance, or poster proposal), or no more than two co-authored proposals. In no case may an author submit more than one individually-authored proposal.
• Proposals will undergo blind review, so so please do not list your name, affiliation, or contact information within the proposal file. (Author names appearing in reference lists or citations are fine and don’t need to be anonymized.)
• Proposals for Workshops and Talk Story Sessions are due by August 31, 2026, with notification of acceptance by September 15, 2026.

The call for general conference proposals (papers & posters) can be found here, with a deadline of September 30, 2026.

Timeline

• May 8, 2026: Call for Proposals announced
• August 31, 2026: Proposals for Workshops and Talk Story Sessions deadline
• September 15, 2026: Notification of acceptance to Workshops and Talk Story Sessions
• September 30, 2026: Proposal deadline for General sessions
• November 1, 2026: Notification of acceptance for General sessions
• November 1, 2026: Accepted Presenter Registration opens
• November 30, 2026: Accepted Presenter Registration deadline
• December 1, 2026: Registration opens to the general public and continues until full.
• March 4-7, 2027: 10th ICLDC

Questions?  Feel free to contact us at icldc@hawaii.edu