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Call for interventions and papers - ECT Lab+ 6th conference
Published on February 17, 2026
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Updated on February 17, 2026
Dates
from February 16, 2026 to April 15, 2026
The European Culture and Technology Laboratory (ECT Lab+) is pleased to announce its Call for Interventions & Papers 2026 for the 6th Annual Conference, to be held at the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, in the historic Angevin Castle in Gaeta, Italy, on 8–9 October 2026
Under the title Past-Forward. Re:manifesting Europe for Inclusive Technological Futures, this year’s conference invites scholars, artists, designers and creative practitioners to explore the enduring power of the manifesto in shaping Europe’s cultural, political and technological trajectories
Through the Manifesto Drawing inspiration from the historic Ventotene Manifesto "For a Free and United Europe (1941)" written by Altiero Spinelli and Ernesto Rossi during their confinement on the island of Ventotene, the conference revisits the foundational ideals of cooperation, democracy and social justice that continue to inform the European project.
In a time marked by rapid technological transformation, ecological uncertainty and profound social change, ECT Lab+ proposes a return to the manifesto as a transdisciplinary practice, a form that has historically united art, design, political economy and technology as instruments of cultural and political renewal.
The 2026 edition will examine how manifesto traditions can help reimagine inclusive technological futures and foster democratic imagination in the digital age.
The open call welcomes contributions in a wide range of formats, including academic papers, panels, workshops, performances, artistic interventions, installations, seminars and poster presentations.
Proposals may address, but are not limited to:
Submissions are welcome from established and early-career researchers, as well as artists and practitioners working across disciplines
The conference will take place at the Angevin Castle in Gaeta, a site of exceptional historical importance overlooking the Tyrrhenian coast and the sea routes linking Gaeta to Ventotene.
Founded in the thirteenth century, the castle has served as a strategic military stronghold, a symbol of political authority through successive European powers, and later as a prison until 1990. Its layered history of resistance, statecraft and transformation provides a powerful backdrop for rethinking Europe’s future
Abstracts should be submitted to: ectlabconference2026@univ-tech.eu
For further information, please contact: connell.vaughan@tudublin.ie
Check the Call for interventions and papers here
Reimagining Europe
Through the Manifesto Drawing inspiration from the historic Ventotene Manifesto "For a Free and United Europe (1941)" written by Altiero Spinelli and Ernesto Rossi during their confinement on the island of Ventotene, the conference revisits the foundational ideals of cooperation, democracy and social justice that continue to inform the European project.
In a time marked by rapid technological transformation, ecological uncertainty and profound social change, ECT Lab+ proposes a return to the manifesto as a transdisciplinary practice, a form that has historically united art, design, political economy and technology as instruments of cultural and political renewal.
The 2026 edition will examine how manifesto traditions can help reimagine inclusive technological futures and foster democratic imagination in the digital age.
Themes and scope
The open call welcomes contributions in a wide range of formats, including academic papers, panels, workshops, performances, artistic interventions, installations, seminars and poster presentations.
Proposals may address, but are not limited to:
- The reinvigoration of cooperation, tolerance and respect for diversity in European contexts
- Human-centred technological futures and equitable access to innovation
- The role of institutions and policymakers in ensuring technological inclusion
- AI, social sustainability, productivity and work–life balance
- Digital manifestos and algorithmic publics
- The manifesto as resistance and renewal in times of crisis
- Artistic and design-based reinterpretations of manifesto traditions
- The legacy of the Ventotene Manifesto and its contemporary relevance
Submissions are welcome from established and early-career researchers, as well as artists and practitioners working across disciplines
A venue of historic significance
The conference will take place at the Angevin Castle in Gaeta, a site of exceptional historical importance overlooking the Tyrrhenian coast and the sea routes linking Gaeta to Ventotene.
Founded in the thirteenth century, the castle has served as a strategic military stronghold, a symbol of political authority through successive European powers, and later as a prison until 1990. Its layered history of resistance, statecraft and transformation provides a powerful backdrop for rethinking Europe’s future
Submission details
- Deadline for abstracts (500 words, excluding references): 15 April 2026
- Submissions must be anonymised (including metadata) and sent in PDF format
- Notification of acceptance: 20 May 2026
- Selected contributions will be considered for inclusion in an edited volume to be published in 2027
Abstracts should be submitted to: ectlabconference2026@univ-tech.eu
For further information, please contact: connell.vaughan@tudublin.ie
Check the Call for interventions and papers here
Date of update 17 February 2026