Shaping Culture through Dress and Textiles
Celebrating 50 years of the Dress and Textiles Specialists network
Call for Presenters
To mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of DATS subject specialist network our 2025 conference will be held at the University of Brighton on the 25th and 26th September. Keynote presentations from Professor Emerita Lou Taylor and Conservator Zenzie Tinker will reflect on what shapes our professional sector and keeps us involved. DATS welcomes submissions of presentations and posters from professionals and researchers at any stage of their career who work with dress, fashion, costume and textiles collections, exhibitions, preservation and material culture. Presentations are suggested, but not limited to, the following themes:
- The impact of past practices
- Cultural relevance of dress and textiles
- New approaches to research
- Navigating heritage in changing cultures
- Lessons from history
- Missing objects/archives
- Reflecting our predecessors
- What’s changed in exhibitions and displays
- International conversations
- Developing new audiences
- Working with underrepresented partners
- Giving public space to communities
- Conservation directives
- Working with technology
- Antipathy and protection
Presentations should be 15-20 minutes long and presenters are encouraged to attend in person. DATS offers a limited number of bursaries to UK members to assist with attendance costs, please note on your abstract if this is of interest. Remote attendance or catch-up options will be announced with ticket sales. To submit your proposal: please send an abstract or summary of no more than 200 words and a biography of 50 words to Emily Taylor at events@dressandtextilespecialists.org.uk by 17:00 on Monday 7 July. Informal enquiries or further questions are welcome. Please forward widely to your colleagues and networks.
We look forward to your submissions!
DATS Committee