2026
International
Research
Conference
29, 30, 31 October, 2026
Plymouth UK
Call for papers
& participation
now open
Deadline for abstract submissions:
15th July 2026
Arts University Plymouth is inviting participation in its Making Futures
2026 conference to be held 29, 30
& 31 October, 2026 in Plymouth, UK.
The conference will be held in person only, however, key sessions will be recorded and made available online post-conference.
We are delighted to announce a partnership with Intellect for this 2026 iteration of Making Futures™ to publish a Special Edition of Craft Research Journal dedicated to the conference focus on care, reciprocity and responsive matter in association with craft.
Call for papers
& participation
now open
Deadline for abstract submissions:
15th July 2026
Arts University Plymouth is inviting participation in its Making Futures
2026 conference to be held 29, 30 &
31 October, 2026 in Plymouth, UK. The conference will be held in person only, however, key sessions will be recorded and made available online post-conference.
We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Intellect to publish a Special Edition of Craft Research (Journal) for Making Futures™ 2026.
A speculative ontology of crafted living systems.
The exploration follows a materials ontology approach to artefacts, open to both a reflection on the characteristics of human design and making, as well as the ‘more than human’ understanding of materials within craft, materials science and engineering, biotechnology, critical ecology and environmental advocacy.
Featuring a cross-disciplinary programme of speakers and specialists, the 3-day event will examine how we encounter our cultural materiality through care and reciprocity to reframe the notion of matter as having agency within a larger sphere of thought that lends ‘voice’ to the natural and living world as co-authors in materially-led creative endeavour.
Call for
participation
& Papers
We are most interested in aspects of material-led creative practices and innovations that expand traditional techniques into new domains of design practice, knowledge production and exchange, interdisciplinary thinking and making, cross-cultural learning, material innovation, speculative or new materialism, creative and material ecologies, models of art/science pedagogy, small-scale and distributed material production, circularity in material practice and education, and other physical and philosophical interfaces between life, matter, and creativity.
We are seeking contributions from designers, artists, makers, educators, scholars, researchers, policymakers, scientists, and any creator or curator of culture on the topics covered in the upcoming conference focused on areas of material practice and craft that are breaking new ground.
About Making Futures™
Making Futures™ is Arts University Plymouth’s research platform exploring contemporary craft and maker movements as ‘change agents’ in 21st century society. The highlight of Making Futures™ is an international conference bringing together scholars, makers, artists, designers and educators to explore the frontier of material practices in the context of sustainability, community regeneration and technical innovation.
First convened in 2009, the conference is focused on the transformative potential of material and fabrication practices, whose tacit and traditional ways of making contribute to new, progressive futures where people and the planet live together more harmoniously. Making Futures™ seeks to situate material cultures and material knowledge at the centre of the many critical issues facing global consumer society, including how we might move beyond mass consumption towards an inclusive, regenerative economy capable of supporting social well being and enabling more resilient communities.
As a platform for challenging the material status quo and inviting speculation on how traditional approaches to material production might inform emerging technologies and economies, Making Futures™ advocates for the importance of our shared human heritage, social making, and the significance of place in the value of creative form.
Arts
University
Plymouth
Founded in 1856 as the Plymouth Drawing School, the University offers a comprehensive spectrum of specialist undergraduate, postgraduate and pre-degree study in Arts, Design and Media, combining over 165 years of creativity with contemporary thinking and cutting-edge, industry-standard resources. The 2026 conference will be in person and will take place at Arts University Plymouth’s city centre campus, Tavistock Place. The campus is located in the heart of Plymouth’s ‘Cultural Quarter’, adjacent to The Box and numerous other emerging art spaces and studios.
Key Dates
tracks
There are six conference tracks for Making Futures™ 2026:
01
Material Intelligence as a Framework for Ecological Care
Submission Guidelines
- Paper abstract – fully articulated idea presented as text with supporting slides (15 min)
- Project presentation – visual overview/documentation of a creative project (15 min)
- Futures Forum – a new, experimental idea, project, or theory presented in 5 minutes with 3 slides presented in poster-style with other presenters (5 min)
- Breakout Session – a session that gathers a small group of attendees for deeper topical discussion, seminar or networking (1 hour)
- Workshop / Designed Interaction – a hands-on, making/thinking workshop or public engagement (1 hour)
- Exhibition proposal – a proposal for an exhibition of work (3 days)
All Submissions
Abstracts for papers, presentations and proposals should consist of a max. 300-word abstract including track number you’re submitting to, title, author(s), and organisation/institutional affiliation.
All submissions should include a short author(s) bio no longer than 200 words (1200 characters) per author or participant. Short bios will be used as they are submitted on the conference website together with abstracts and Introductions.
Email Submissions to: makingfutures@aup.ac.uk
Abstract submission deadline:
1 July 2026
Notification of acceptance:
20 July 2026
Abstracts will be blind peer reviewed by the Making Futures Research Group and the Making Futures Editorial Committee.
Papers & Presentations
- Title: The name of the written work or project
- Keywords:5 keywords max. that identify the paper content or project
- Introduction: Summary, overview and relevance
- Methodology: Methods, stages, and techniques
- Key Findings: Outcomes and contribution to knowledge
Proposals for Breakout Sessions (with 10-15 participants) should outline the focus of the session, session title, and a summary of technical needs to conduct a workshop or networking discussion. Proposals for Futures Forum Presentations should summarise a 5-minute micro presentation of a current creative research project, or emergent theory, or idea, outlining the content through the presentation of 3 slides.
Workshops
Proposals for a Workshop
(10-15 participants) should summarise the workshop content, named workshop leader(s), required materials/technical support and intended outcome for enrolled participants.
Submission language is English for all formats.
Publication of Full Conference Papers
For the 2026 Making Futures we are thrilled to announce that we have partnered with Intellect to publish a Special Edition of Craft Research Journal on the conference topic Feeling Materials: Care, Reciprocity & Responsive Matter.
After the conference, the timeline for contributions to the Making Futures Special Edition of the Craft Research Journal will be:
Making Futures™ Conference October 2026
- Invitation for full paper submissions: November 2026
- Final selection confirmed
December 2026 - Paper submission deadline
January 2027 - First manuscript review complete
March 2027 - Revised manuscript deadline (if required) April 2027
- Final manuscript reviews complete
May 2027
Full issue submitted to Intellect End of June 2027
Published MF 2026 Special Edition Sept/Oct 2027
Following the MF ‘26 Conference
Following the MF ‘26 conference, submission of final papers will be peer reviewed and selected in partnership with Craft Research Journal, which will accept:
Full research papers
(4000–6000 words)
Full papers may describe completed research projects, including research question(s), methods, outcomes, and findings. They should include original research and/or work of developmental nature which proposes new concepts, ideas or methods that are clearly presented, argued and evidenced.
Craft and industry
(1500–3000 words)
Papers of investigative practice in the craft industry should present advances in and for the field, including new collaborations, technological developments, processes, methods, ideas etc. by craft practitioners and industry.
More detail and information about submission of full conference papers after the conference in October will be published on the conference web site in November 2026.
