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Paper short abstract

This contribution offers silent physical presence as a means to question whether the focus on cramming programmes with as many presentations of academic work as possible precludes possibilities for more meaningful, personal, and truly present engagement at conferences.

Paper long abstract

Academic conferences provide spaces for researchers to come together with those who share their interests. They allow us to be physically present with each other to share ideas and form social bonds. Conferences are also a professional requirement. We are expected to disseminate our findings and rack up a list of conference contributions as part of a well-rounded portfolio of scholarly outputs. They become part of a productivity-focused academic grind culture: even when we feel we have little to say, we must make sure we produce always outputs. This results in conferences stuffed to the gills with panel discussions where we have no time to engage meaningfully with each other because the convenors wanted to fit in an extra presentation so there’s only 5 minutes for questions and then we have to run to the next panel, the next keynote. What, then, is “present” in these presentations? Is it human beings, or is it merely their work? But what if we said a little less, and tried to be a little more present as people, to revive the conference as a space for convivial togetherness rather than an event at which to register one’s presence to add a line to the CV? This contribution draws on techniques of silent presence drawn from my clown training: instead of an addition to the academic noise, I offer you my presence. By sitting quietly with the audience, I explore polarisations between absence and presence, speaking and listening, communicating and engaging.