International Toy Research Association 8th World Conference

TOYS AND MATERIAL CULTURE : Hybridisation, Design and Consumption

11th-13th July 2018 Paris, France

CALL FOR PAPERS

The 8h World Conference of the International Toy Research Association will be held in conjunction with Experice (Experience, cultural resources and education) and Labex ICCA (Cultural Industries and Artistic Creation) of the Paris 13 University – Sorbonne Paris Cité University.

The International Toy Research Association (ITRA), founded in 1993, is devoted to the scientific study of toys in all their facets. ITRA brings together toy researchers from all corners of the globe (see www.itratoyresearch.org for further information). This is our 8th World Conference to discuss research, collaborate on international projects and exchange information with other researchers, students and leaders in the toy industry. More than 80 international delegates attended our previous meeting in Braga, Portugal in 2014.

The Experice (//experice.univ-paris13.fr/) research centre focuses on education outside school, informal learning, play and childhood material culture. It participates in the Labex ICCA.

The ITRA conference will be held at a newly developed Conference Centre, accessible via metro, known as the MSH (Human Sciences House) in Paris-Nord. The Centre is situated at Avenue George Sand in La Plaine Saint Denis (part of the Grand Paris conurbation) and is 2 minutes from the “Front Populaire” station of line 12 of the Paris Metro. The MSH is situated four to six stations from the famous Parisian area of Montmartre.

Conference Themes

The predominant theme for the 8th ITRA Conference is Toys and Material Culture: Hybridisation, Design and Consumption.

Beyond toys, the conference will explore the place of tangible objects and novel forms of material culture in play. What are the similarities and the differences, the relationships, between toys and other material devices, such as board games, cards, digital games and media-connected objects? Are there, in play, or in the trans-mediated toys themselves, new forms of materiality?

Three words can summarize this topic:

 Hybridisation: the mix between toys and other playthings or supports; the trans-media franchising and circulation of characters, contents, fictions, and cross-connected toys; the mix between video games and toys; the relationships between toys and technology; and the question of virtual toys.

 Design: the conception of toys and the relationship with other trans-mediated objects addressed to, or of interest to children. Since Experice, the university’s research centre, operates in conjunction with a FabLab specialising in toys and games, known as Ludomaker (//fr-fr.facebook.com/ludomaker/), we are particularly interested in encouraging proposals from other FabLabs around the world that also specialise in toys and games.

 Consumption: the marketing, distribution, and use of toys, and their relationship with different kinds of play objects, including the recycling and transformation of everyday objects into playthings.

In addition to the main theme of the conference, other topics relating to toys and material culture are welcome. This includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:
 Toy collecting and toy libraries  Toys, education, health and environment  Toys and gender influences  Toys and intercultural communication  Toys in history  Trans-generational toys  Toys, signs and meanings
We welcome abstracts of completed research, case studies and development projects, as well as incomplete or proposed research or ideas for future research in order to generate discussion and feedback.

To submit a paper, symposium or poster

If you would like to present a paper, organize a symposium or present a poster please submit the requested abstract or proposal, in English, before 8th January 2018. Submissions should be sent to Gilles Brougère (brougere@univ-paris13.fr).

Papers will be limited to 20 minutes, with an additional 10 minutes for questions and comments. In addition to some basic background information, the abstract must include methodology, research data and results, discussion or conclusion. Authors are also asked to provide which category (from the above list) best fits the description of their paper. The title of the abstract, names, affiliations and email addresses of each contributor should be provided. An abstract should be one A4 page in portrait layout (around 2000 characters). Deadline 8th January 2018.

Symposia will be limited to 2 hours, with three or four presentations on a common theme. Each proposal should contain the title of the symposium, an overview of the symposium (around 2000 characters), and abstracts of each presentation should be presented in the same format as the papers. Deadline 8th January 2018.

Posters should be suitable for presentation. Poster sessions usually do not occupy conference time and take place during the coffee breaks. Their duration should be limited to 20 minutes. If you would like to present a poster, please submit a one-page abstract in the same format as the papers. Deadline 8th January 2018.

The scientific committee will review your abstract or proposal for its suitability to the conference. You will receive a reply by 15th March 2018.

If you require a response before this date, please apply in writing to Gilles Brougère (brougere@univ-paris13.fr) when you submit your paper, symposium or poster.

Publications

Conference proceedings will be published in the open archive HAL (//hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/). Participants who wish to have their full paper published are required to submit it to Gilles Brougère (brougere@univ-paris13.fr) by 15th September 2018.

---

---