Rhodes University to host 39th Annual SAVAH Conference & Festival

Date Released: Wed, Mar 11, 2026

This year’s conference invites scholars and practitioners in the arts and humanities to explore collaborative, lateral, and interdisciplinary ways of creating and thinking. Drawing on the idea of “reaching sideways”, the event foregrounds approaches that challenge hierarchy, encourage reciprocal learning, and open space for more communal and contextually grounded forms of knowledge-making.

Presented as both a conference and a festival, the event supports formats that extend beyond conventional academic papers, including collaborative presentations, performance lectures, and proposals for live art, sound art, and video screening. Student participation, student-staff collaboration, and cross-institutional partnership are strongly encouraged.

Submission

Please submit an abstract of 300 to 400 words via the SAVAH website by 15 April 2026. Include a short bio with your affiliation (if applicable) and clearly indicate the format of your proposed presentation. Successful applicants will be notified by the end of April 2026. For any queries, please contact conference@savah.org.za.

Funding

Limited funding will be available for postgraduate students. Please indicate if you are a student who would like to apply for funding assistance. Include your degree, institution and year of registration.

 

Source: SAVAH conference