‍This one-day public symposium will discuss the value, limitations and possibilities of peer review and critique within creative practice research.

‍Critique is so embedded in the processes of making and writing that it is often taken for granted. From studio crits and exhibition reviews to journal peer review and institutional assessments such as the Research Excellence Framework (REF), subjecting work to external critique is central to developing a research career. At its best, review can offer fresh perspectives, enhance the quality and rigour of creative work, and suggest new directions for practice or research. At its worst, it can perpetuate uneven power dynamics, uphold the status quo and, for many, be a stressful or even humiliating experience.

‍We invite creative practice researchers from across disciplines to share their experiences and propose alternative models of critique. How might the processes of critique be rethought by reflecting on our own encounters with its various procedures? Alternatives abound, from deconstruction, schizoanalysis, feminist and queer models of knowledge construction to approaches that prioritise disagreement (dissensus), participation, co-creation or regionally specific knowledges. How might such models, alongside our lived experiences of critique, help move institutional processes beyond bureaucratisation, reification and petty egotisms?

We welcome submissions from research students and academics working within creative practice research.

Contributions may take the form of:

• ‍ ‍Short (15 minute) presentations 

• Performances

• Provocations 

• Interactive activities or short workshop sessions 

Possible themes include:

• How value is determined and ascribed to creative work 

• The role of gatekeepers within review processes 

• The labour (intellectual, professional or emotional) involved in reviewing creative work 

• The potential for more open and supportive review processes 

• Peer review as a creative process 

• Conversation and dialogue as methods of critique 

The event is free, with lunch and refreshments provided. A limited number of small travel bursaries are available for contributors.