The ASAP/16 Conference will feature four types of sessions: panels, roundtables, seminars, and workshops. 

• Panels feature 3-4 papers or presentations, moderated by a session chair.One of those presentations may be a response to the other papers. No more than 60 minutes should be devoted to papers/presentations, with the remaining time allotted for discussion with the audience. (90 minutes total)
• Roundtables feature 5-6 speakers and a session chair who collectively take up a shared discussion topic. The conversation may begin with brief presentations, or provocations from the speakers, but these are typically no longer than 5 minutes each. The emphasis is on discussion between the speakers and the audience. (90 minutes total)
• Workshops can take a variety of formats, including site-specific performances, studio visits, collaborative creative production, film screenings with a discussion afterward, professional development conversations (e.g. building an arts program, publishing a first book, mentoring graduate students, etc). More generally, workshops often provide space to craft and to build. Regardless of focus, workshops are all highly interactive and are led by one or more organizers. (90 or 180 minutes)
  • Papers-in-Progress Workshops are specifically for graduate students, who will be asked to pre-circulate longer pieces of in-progress writing (article-length, or approximately 15-25 pages). Designed as an opportunity for mentorship, participants will receive substantive feedback in conversation with members of the ASAP Motherboard and scholars of the larger ASAP membership. In order to facilitate deep discussion of each piece, these workshops will feature a smaller number of participants. Members cannot propose to lead a Papers-in-Progress Workshop, only apply to present as part of one. (180 minutes) 
  • Artist Talk, Studio Visit, Performance:  Artist Talks, Studio Visits, and Performances are new formats for ASAP conference sessions. ASAP welcomes suggestions and innovative ideas for incorporating these formats. Currently, “artist talk” sessions are grouped into topical panels. Each artist has the opportunity to present their work and participate in the panel Q&A. Studio visits are opportunities for local artists who want to invite ASAP members for a short (1 hour or so) studio visit. This could also be virtual with a creative Zoom format. Performances should relate to the core values and interests of ASAP, and do not necessarily need to conform to the conference theme. We will do our best to accommodate performances by providing a space, although we cannot guarantee recording the session.
• Seminars revolve around discussion of pre-circulated materials and occur over two sessions (3 hours total), thus fostering a wider conversation than a panel or roundtable allows. Seminars feature 7-12 participants, not including the seminar organizer(s). Seminar leaders may define the goal—and, subsequently, the structure—of their meeting in a variety of ways. This includes deciding on the type of pre-circulated materials (e.g. shared readings, works-in-progress writing, etc.). Seminars must be advertised on Ex Ordo. For more information about how to use Ex Ordo, please click here for an FAQ. (180 minutes total)

With the exception of keynote events, all conference sessions will be 90 minutes in length. 

• Panels, roundtables, and workshops: 1 session (1.5 hours)
• Seminars: 2 sessions (3 hours, not including a 15-minute break between sessions)

Workshop organizers who have a compelling reason to hold a longer meeting may request that their workshop be programmed for 2 concurrent sessions, for a total of 3 hours. This request should be noted within the proposal. Session time limits are otherwise not negotiable.

ASAP does not standardize seminar formats. We would like you to feel free to use the time in the best way you see fit. Here are some considerations and approaches. Think about how best you might spend your allotted time, and what you would like the conversation to be like.

Be strategic with your time. If you have 15 participants, for example, you probably don’t want to begin with extensive summaries of all of the papers, because that will leave you with little time for anything else.

Think about the best way to include your audience in the discussion. You might, for example, put the papers into clusters, organized around common themes, key terms, or points of agreement/disagreement. Or you might have each person recap their thesis quickly, and then provide a provocation or raise a question for the group.

If you have personal or institutional space to do it, you might consider a website for your seminar. ASAP can link to it (though unfortunately we cannot host it). Feel free to experiment. And please let us know what worked for you and what did not.

Proposal components vary somewhat depending on the session type: 

• Panels:
  • Overall narrative (max. 500 words)
  • Individual abstracts for all papers (max. 250 words each)
  • Brief bios for participants (max. 250 words each)
• Roundtables and Seminars:
  • Overall narrative (max. 500 words)
  • Presentation titles and/or brief descriptions of individual contributions (the Ex Ordo system defaults to 250-word abstracts, but for roundtables and seminars, presentation titles and/or brief descriptions are all that is needed)
  • Brief bios for participants (max. 250 words each)
• Workshops:
  • Overall narrative including logistical plans and specific information about audience involvement. If you would like to hold your workshop for two sessions (3 hours total), please explain your rationale within your proposal narrative. (max. 500 words)
  • Brief bios for organizers (max. 250 words each)
• Papers-in-Progress Graduate Workshops: 
  • Individual abstract (max, 250 words)
  • Brief bio (max. 250 words)

In order to involve as many people in the conference as possible, ASAP limits appearances on the program to ONE in each of the following categories: 

• Panel or roundtable presenter 
• Seminar participant 

In other words, an individual could present on a panel and participate in a seminar, but presenting on a roundtable and a panel would not be allowed. Individuals may chair or organize as many sessions as they wish.