Cover image for Constructing the Future symposium featuring a map of Prospero's island from a recent production of the Tempest at the RSC
Wednesday 30 October 2019

Heritage Quay
University of Huddersfield
08:45 – 09:15 – Registration

09:15 – 09:25 – Introduction

09:25 – 10:45 – Panel 1: ‘The End: Apocalypse, Crisis, and the Natural World’
Eva Antal, ‘“No Apocalypse, Not Now”: Prophetic Last Man Narratives’
Lily Brown, ‘Until we leave Eden’: The construction and fragility of edenic spaces post environmental destruction in young adult literature. 
Paul Graham Raven, ‘Climaginaries: putting the critical utopia to work’

10:45 – 11:00 – Coffee Break

11:00 – 12:00 – Panel 2: ‘Constructing social space: dystopic utopias’
Carmelina Martínez, ‘The relationship between history and the future. Crisis and Utopia: Crucible of Realities’
Maximilian Curtis, ‘Living in Unlivable Luxury: Utopias of Urban Containment, from Doctor Who’s “Paradise Towers” to Grenfell Tower’

12:00 – 12:15 – Comfort Break

12:15 – 13:15 – Keynote: Richard Tutton. ‘Our Future in Outer Space by Silicon Valley: Utopia or Dystopia?’

13:15 – 14:00 - Lunch

14:00 – 15:00 – Panel 3: ‘Considering the Human: Language, Technology, & Cyberspace’ 
Olivia Belton, ‘Public Perceptions of Autonomous Flight’
Jun Qiang & Rongkun Liu, ‘A Vision for the Future: Language, Communication and Conflict in The Three-Body Problem’

15:00 – 15:10 – Comfort Break

15.10 – 16:30 – Panel 4: 'Perspectives on Hope and Utopia: Pedagogy, Ecotopian Activism and Queer Liberation'
Heather Alberro, ‘In the Shadow of Death: On Radical Environmental Activists’ ‘Critical Modalities of Hope’
Darren Webb, ‘On That Which Guides Us Through Uncertain Times: Problemetising the Utopian Futurity of Hope’
Ibtisam Ahmed, ‘Utopia as Killjoy: Creating Hope from the Margins’

16:30 – 16:45 – Closing Remarks. 


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