VERA Conference 2026
Art, Culture, and Power: Negotiating Creativity, Conflict, and Defiance
Date and Venue: 26-27 May 2026, UEF Joensuu campus
Pre-conference for PhD students: 25 May 2026, UEF Joensuu campus
Culture serves as a means of civic activism and as an instrument for reinforcing state authority. Visual arts, literature, sport, and religion have historically been associated with promoting national unity, but contemporary debates marked by notions such as ‘culture wars’ and ‘soft power’ demonstrate how culture increasingly functions as a site of divisions within society, or between state and society, as well as international competition. This conference examines the contested deployment of art and culture across diverse actors and political settings.
In contexts marked by authoritarian governance, democratic backsliding, or populist dominance, also in the so-called West, cultural practices acquire heightened significance as arenas of political expression. Governments mobilise culture to reinforce state narratives, cultivate ideological cohesion, and project unity. At the same time, underground music, literature, poetry, performance art, political theatre, and even critical graffiti provide spaces for articulating dissent, building networks, and sustaining emotional and spiritual resilience. Such practices may also give rise to broader resistance movements, as seen in contemporary Russia and beyond.
The conference explores the diverse intersections of culture, activism, and power across Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, and the broader Eurasian region. Through keynote lectures, panel discussions, and paper presentations, it examines contemporary social, political, and cultural divisions unfolding within these varied contexts.
Call for Papers
(deadline for proposals: 26 April 2026)
We invite proposals for papers and panels that examine how culture and activism intersect with power, governance, and state–society relations across diverse geographical and political contexts. While particular interest is directed toward Russia, the former Soviet states, and Eastern Europe, proposals focusing on other regions are equally welcome. Doctoral students are warmly invited to participate in the pre-conference, featuring a keynote talk and the opportunity to receive expert and peer comments on their papers. The conference is free of charge. However, a small fee for dinner will apply.
Please submit your paper and panel proposal to [email protected] by 26 April 2026. Proposals should include the title, the name and position of the researcher(s), an abstract of no more than 200 words, and if you wish to present at the doctoral preconference.
Please submit your registration by 10 May 2026 using this link. (Registration is now open!)
The conference programme is free of charge. The conference includes coffee and light refreshments. We will also arrange a voluntary dinner and get‑together on 26 May for a small additional fee that can be paid upon registration.
See you in Joensuu!
Organisers: