Teesside University to host 10th International Visual Methods Conference (IVMC27) in 2027

A major international conference exploring how visual media can be best utilised to engage people in research and forge connections between people and places is to be hosted by Teesside University.

The 10th International Visual Methods Conference (IVMC27) will be coming to Middlesbrough, home of Teesside University’s Institute for Collective Place Leadership and MIMA (Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art), in March 2027.

The conference will follow MIMA’s hosting of the Turner Prize in Autumn 2026 and will offer further opportunity to showcase the vibrant and culturally diverse town of Middlesbrough and Tees Valley region.

Visual methods are research techniques which use images such as photography, video, drawing, mapping, and, collage to generate, analyse, and represent knowledge.

These methods, often participatory, allow researchers to explore complex social contexts, embodied experiences, and digital culture beyond traditional text-based data.

Co-chairs of IVMC27 are Professor Antonia Liguori, Professor of Participatory Storytelling and Co-Director of the Institute for Collective Place Leadership at Teesside University, and Dr Sally Blackburn-Daniels, AHRC Impact Acceleration Account Research Fellow at the same institution.

The conference theme 'People, Place, Narrative' foregrounds the entanglements of visuality, lived experience, and spatio-temporal narratives. Building on recent editions focused on bridging perspectives, transitions, and generational shifts, IVMC27 will spotlight community-led visual methods, collaborative storytelling, and the politics of representation across urban, rural, and hybrid environments.

Organisers aim to advance the field by exploring decolonial, ecological, and participatory approaches to visual inquiry, forging connections between people’s lived narratives and the places they inhabit or imagine.

IVMC attracts scholars and academics from diverse disciplines, including art, design, sociology, museum studies, media studies, business and economics, education, psychology, geography, cultural studies, history, and computer science. It also welcomes practitioners in art, education, curation, performance, community spaces, and social innovation, creating a collaborative space for global knowledge exchange.

Professor Stephen Cummings, Pro Vice Chancellor (Research and Knowledge Exchange), Teesside University, said: 'Hosting IVMC27 reflects Teesside University’s deep commitment to research that is creative, collaborative and rooted in real world impact. Visual methods are vital tools for understanding how people experience their communities, and they open new possibilities for engaging groups whose voices are often missing from traditional research approaches.

'We are proud to welcome leading international scholars and practitioners to Middlesbrough, and to showcase the innovative work taking place across our Institute for Collective Place Leadership. This conference highlights not only our strength in research and knowledge exchange, but also the role our University plays in shaping the cultural and social futures of the Tees Valley and beyond.'

Dr Laura Sillars, Director of MIMA and Dean of Culture and Creativity at Teesside Universty, said: 'Hosting the Turner Prize in 2026 and then IVMC27 in 2027 offers a remarkable opportunity to build momentum, deepen international connections, and share the creativity and ambition that define our town. We look forward to welcoming delegates and showcasing the energy, talent and diverse voices that shape our work at MIMA, Middlesbrough and the wider Tees Valley.

'Visual storytelling and participatory arts practices sit at the heart of what we do, and this conference provides a unique platform to explore how those approaches can connect communities, inspire dialogue, and support more inclusive ways of understanding place.'

Co-chair of the IVMC International Committee, Dr Rebecca Noone, from the University of Glasgow, said: 'The International Visual Methods Conference (IVMC) is an extraordinarily rich and dynamic gathering for investigation and the exchange of best practices on visual methods.

'Visual methods are understood not merely as analytical tools, but as genuine catalysts for building meaningful connections, addressing complex social challenges, and continuously expanding our understanding of the world. These processes unfold on an international scale, thanks in part to the fact that every two years the conference is hosted by a different organization, significantly influencing both its geographical impact and the community's dynamism.'

Federica Pesce, co-chair of the IVMC International Committee, from MeltingPro, Italy, said: 'For its tenth iteration, we are delighted to celebrate the IVMC conference at Teesside University in Middlesbrough.

'With the 10th IVMC conference we move from the bustle of the global centres of Istanbul, Rome, Cape Town, and Singapore to the local and impactful spaces that are doing important work in visual methods at a local level.

'This occasion will be invaluable for developing new directions for the visual methods community, especially in light of the increasingly rapid changes within the societies we live in.'

Conference co-chair Professor Antonia Liguori said: 'The Institute for Collective Place Leadership embodies collaborative, place-based approaches to urban regeneration and community empowerment, and we’re thrilled to host IVMC27 in Middlesbrough at this pivotal moment.

'Drawing on our collective expertise, this edition will focus on the role of visual methods to amplify marginalised voices, reimagine representations, and co-create narratives that strengthen the bonds between people and their places, reforging our multiple histories and perspectives through storytelling.'

Conference co-chair Dr Blackburn-Daniels said: 'We are honoured to host IVMC27 at an exciting moment for our university.

'Thanks to the AHRC’s Impact Acceleration Account fund, Teesside University has been able to support transformative pathways that enable arts and humanities research attain real-world impact. IVMC27 arrives during the final months of our IAA - the perfect time to welcome international colleagues from across the visual methods disciplines to celebrate this work first-hand.'

The conference takes place on Monday to Wednesday, 22-24 March 2027.

IVMC27 continues a biennial tradition launched in 2009. The series has fostered a dynamic, interdisciplinary community of scholars and practitioners sharing innovative practices worldwide, with past events in Istanbul, Turkey (2025), Rome, Italy (2023), Cape Town, South Africa (2021), Bucharest, Romania (2019), Singapore (2017), Brighton, UK (2015), Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand (2013), Milton Keynes, UK (2011), and Leeds, UK (2009).

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