The thematic stream „Feminist Media Production in Europe“ is part of „Civilmedia 11: Community Media for Social Change: Low Threshold – High Impact“ (14.-16.04.2011) and will be organised by Rosa Reitsamer and Elke Zobl (on April 14).

Time: 14.04.2011
Venue: University Salzburg
Deadline for proposals: 3rd February 2011

Women have always played an important role in movements for social justice. Using media to transport their messages, to disrupt social orders and to spin novel social processes, feminists have long recognised the importance of self-managed media. In the past two decades an increasing number of women have taken the tools of media production into their hands; a vital social phenomenon that has gone largely undetected by members of the public, academia, and even sometimes the feminist movement. As a consequence of this invisibility, very little documentation and research has been done so far on women’s own media cultures, especially so in Europe and with a focus on current developments in the digital realm. To counter this gap and to explore the processes, effects, potentials, and limitations of women’s and feminist media production in Europe, the thematic streams focuses on contemporary feminist grassroots media in general and on blogs, E-zines, culture jamming, graffiti, radio, TV and digital archives in particular.

We encourage the submission of presentations (in the form of talks, discussions, workshops, exhibits etc.) by activists, media producers and academics on the following topics:

* feminism and anti-racism
With the raise of new media and communication technologies, women started to use these technologies for the production and distribution of feminist media. This demographics is often described to as part of „third wave feminism“, „pop feminism“ or „Do-It-Yourself-feminism“. How do feminist media producers engage with feminism and anti-racism? Can we identify a „new feminism“ in feminist blogs, E-zines, digital archives etc.? If so: How does this „new feminism“ distinguish itself from a Second Wave Feminism?

* local, transnational and virtual networks
The network concept, which emerged in the wake of the controversy over globalization and the globalization of media communications, is closely related to Manuel Castells’s theory of the “rise of the network society” (Castells 2010). The internet in general is perhaps the most obvious illustration of Castells’s theory. How do feminist media producers develop local, transnational and virtual networks? How are feminist media producers involved in various networks that seek for social change? Which kind of networks are developed in relation to the production, distribution, geographic spread, content and aims of their media?

* „alternative economies“ 
„Alternative economies“ are developed by media producers and consumers as an alternative to the global media conglomerates. Their primarily aim is not to commodify media; rather alternative economies focus on the exchange of knowledge and information, the spread of emancipatory concepts and activism, and they seek social change. How do feminist media producers develop and engage in „alternative economies“? What effect can they have? In which ways do these “alternative economies” make feminist media with a low threshold and high impact possible?

* DIY citizenship / cultural citizenship and political education
Feminist media offer a space to express opinions, experiences and political views, but they are also a space in which a critical and self-reflexive political education, and possibly a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) or cultural citizenship, could take place. Can we observe such an expression of DIY or cultural citizenship and political education in feminist media? How and under which circumstances and in which context can they take place?

Please submit abstracts with max. 200 words in English until Feb, 3rd, 2011 to Rosa Reitsamer rosa(at)female-consequences.org and Elke Zobl elke.zobl(at)sbg.ac.at
Acceptance notification: March, 1st, 2011

Travel Costs: For conference participants from the EU, the organizers offer the possibility to apply for travel support. Please email Eva Schmidhuber regarding this: eva.schmidhuber(at)radiofabrik.at.

Registration: http://wiki.civilmedia.eu/index.php/Participants/Registration_11
Information: http://blog.radiofabrik.at/civilmedia/