Call for Contributions

The Editors of the Feldenkrais Research Journal are delighted to announce that we are now seeking contributions for the next volume, which will focus on arts and creative practice.

Note: Deadline for submissions extended to July 30, 2017.

Volume 6: Practices of Freedom: The Feldenkrais Method and Creativity

There is a growing trend in the application of The Feldenkrais Method within creative arts contexts, including performer training and performance making practices. This trend is matched by a concurrent growth of the field of performance and cognition, and the development of embodied practices that allow for non-dualist training of performers and emancipatory ways of approaching creative process and spectatorship.

The Feldenkrais Method has been applied within the performing arts from its inception. As a pioneering method it bridges cognitive performance concerns with somatic education processes by leaning on constructivist and enactivist notions of neuroplasticity and learning. Feldenkrais’ teaching focused on the development of self-directed learning, autonomy in choice making and curiosity through heightened awareness and improved functioning of the flexible and creative individual. Feldenkrais understood his practices as improvisational and compositional processes concerned with challenging habitual perception and interaction with the world, concerns shared with formalist 20th century avant-garde arts practices.

Volume 6 of the Feldenkrais Research Journal offers a critical forum for scholarship, articulation and evaluation of creative practices and pedagogies which are informed by The Feldenkrais Method.

Scope and topics of contributions might range from artist-reflections on Feldenkrais-informed creative practices, to academic research concerned with the fostering of creativity through reflective or touch-based modalities inherent to The Feldenkrais Method. We are encouraging scholarship that tests and critically articulates the boundaries and limitations of The Feldenkrais Method and that unpacks creative potentials within the Feldenkrais legacy.

Timelines

We are open for contributions to Volume 6 now (October 2016). We are in the process of shifting to a more continuous publishing mode, so articles will be published as ‘early view’ paper as soon as they are reviewed and edited. We encourage you to make your submission as soon as you can.

The closing deadline for articles for Volume 6 is July 30th, 2017.

Articles should be submitted together with an abstract of about 250 words, keywords, and a short biography of up to 250 words.

As the focus of this volume is on creativity and arts practices, we will consider works that include significant proportions of creative material or make use of arts research processes and forms in the presentation of the ideas, findings or processes described. This might include visual material including embedded links to video works. Please contact us to discuss submission formats if you are planning a contribution outside the usual guidelines, or with any questions.

Guidelines

General submission guidelines regarding the kinds of submission we are seeking and formatting requirements can be found at: http://iffresearchjournal.org/submission-guidelines

Guest Editors for Volume 6

Dr Thomas Kampe, Senior Lecturer for Movement, Field of Writing and Performance, Bath Spa University

Dr Sara Reed, Principal Lecturer in Dance, School of Media and Performing Arts, Faculty of Arts & Humanities, Coventry University

Prof. Robert Sholl, Royal Academy of Music and University of West London

Dr Libby Worth, Senior Lecturer in Theatre Practice, Director MA Programmes, Department of Drama, Theatre and Dance, Royal Holloway, University of London

Contact

Co-editors for volume 6:

Cliff Smyth: researchjournal [at] feldenkrais-method [dot] org

Dr Thomas Kampe: t [dot] kampe [at] bathspa [dot] ac [dot] uk

Early View Publication

Consistent with current practice, we will be publishing articles as soon as they have completed the editorial process and they will be made available as ‘Early view’ articles for each volume. This has the virtue of getting your paper out to the readership as soon as possible – promoting further scholarship and the quicker spread of ideas.

However, to ensure each volume is brought to completion, a final deadline for the next volume will be set.

Future Volumes

At this stage we have not set a theme, or opening and closing deadlines, for volume 7.

Get in Touch

If you are thinking of submitting a paper, we invite you to let us know about the possible topics, authors, any sense you have of when it will be ready, and any questions you have about the submission, editorial, and publishing process. We have particular requirements for submissions of case studies and case study research, and original research, so please check the Submission Guidelines.

We would love to hear from you with your questions and ideas. Please email us at: researchjournal [at] feldenkrais-method [dot] org

What are we looking for?

We are looking for papers in these broad categories:

  • Hypothesis and theory
  • Research paradigms and methods
  • Original research
  • Research reviews
  • Abstracts, reports, and reprints of research published elsewhere
  • Case studies and case study research
  • Articles on the themes of ‘Learning from practice’ and ‘Frontiers of practice’
  • Papers that identify ‘Gaps and Desires’ for research and to start a dialogue on a topic
  • Research news: What events have been happening?
  • Book and article reviews: What is new and noteworthy in relevant literature?
  • Translations of important articles into English or one of the other languages commonly used in the Feldenkrais professional field.

Guidelines

Guidelines for submissions have been developed and are available here: Submission Guidelines. These guidelines include (a) the theme for volumes, (b) more detailed descriptions of the kinds of material we are looking for, and (c) formatting requirements.

Teamwork

To create a quality Journal for the Feldenkrais professional field, which also engages with wider worlds of thinking, study, and practice, takes teamwork. We are pleased to have a team of 10 Editors and Advisory Editors. Please join the team by:

  • writing for the Journal – yes, you
  • letting us know about relevant research, writing, or publishing
  • encouraging people in your networks, who may have something to write or submit, to consider doing it
  • promoting the Journal
  • sending us ideas and suggestions
  • letting us know if you have some resources that can help this important project.

 
Cliff Smyth (Editor), Cornelia Berens, Hillel Braude, Karol Connors, Dianne Hancock, Zoran Kovich, Aarti Rana (Editors), Pat Buchanan, Susan Hillier, Roger Russell (Advisory Editors)

Please contact us at: researchjournal [at] feldenkrais-method [dot] org