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the
affective
artifact

A cross-disciplinary roundtable on the emotional & relational registers of material forms

  • Location: The Box, Cottonian Room
  • Date: 30th October 2026
  • Time: 1:00-3:00pm UTC
  • Facilitators:
    Stephane Owens
    Prof of Arts and Material Futures, AUP
    Simon Warrett
    Prof of Science and Technology Studies, UCL
    Terah Walkup
    Curator of Fine Art Archive, The Box

Overview

Scholars from a range of disciplines are invited to engage in a public conversation and material reading of the histories, narratives, composition, cultural value and function of a material object selected from The Box social history archives. The dialogue revolves around the material embedded and used in a single object, a late 19th-century diver’s suit made of rubber and fibre, laced with salt and scarred through use.

The event is designed as an intimate, investigative encounter with the physical presence and construction of this unique artifact of Plymouth’s seafaring heritage.

Participate in the Event

To attend the conference and to join the Affective Artifact event, please register here. 

Credit: Image used with permission from The Box, Plymouth.

Invited panellists, representing expertise in Science and Technology Studies, Design, Materials Science, Psychology, Archaeology, Medicine and Social Science, will situate the object within their own disciplines toward uncovering the ways in which materials act as a socio-cultural system to engage our emotional and felt relationships with objects.

The structure of the dialogue features a brief presentation on the topic of materials and emotion by six speakers from distinct humanities and science disciplines, followed by a roundtable discussion between all panellists and the audience. The event is part of the Making Futures™ 2026 Biennial Conference, convened by Arts University Plymouth and open to those with a conference ticket.

Credit: Image used with permission from The Box, Plymouth.

Lead Moderators & Presenters

Professor
Stephanie Owens

Dean of Arts, Design and Media
Arts University Plymouth

Professor of the History of Science
Simon Werrett

Department of Technology Studies,
University College London

Curator of Fine Art Archive
Terah Walkup

The Box
Plymouth

MAKING FUTURES

Making Futures™ is Arts University Plymouth’s research platform and international conference that brings scholars, makers, artists, designers and educators together to explore the frontier of creative material practices in the context of sustainability, community regeneration and emerging technologies. 

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. The next Making Futures™ biennial conference will be held in autumn 2026.