Adaptation, Restoration, Rebirth: 20th Association of Adaptation Studies Conference

1-4 June 2025, İstanbul Bilgi University, Istanbul, Türkiye

Deadline for submissions: December 1, 2024

Notifications of acceptance: January 3, 2025.

The 2025 Association of Adaptation Studies Conference invites scholars, researchers, and media creators across all formats to share their work under the theme of “Adaptation, Restoration, Rebirth.” Hosted by İstanbul Bilgi University, the conference will be set in Istanbul—a city celebrated for its unique position as a bridge between continents and cultures, with a rich history of transformation and cultural convergence. santralistanbul Campus is built around the former Silahtarağa Electrical Power Plant, built in 1914 and restored in 2007 to become an educational and cultural space. This creative repurposing embodies the conference theme, inviting discussions on how stories, histories, texts, spaces, and artifacts are continually renewed and reshaped across media, time, and cultures.

We welcome contributions that engage with any topic related to adaptation studies, but our program will focus particularly on the following questions:

• Adaptation: 
  • How do texts and cultural products evolve as they traverse different media, genres, and cultural landscapes? 
  • What can these transformations reveal about cultural meaning and the impact of cross-cultural exchanges?
• Restoration: 
  • What role does restoration play in maintaining the integrity and value of cultural texts and adapted works of literature, film, television, and digital media, as well as in archival research? 
  • How do contemporary restoration practices—ranging from the re-edition and re-translation of classic texts to revivals of classic films to the digitization and preservation of fragile media—shape the reception, authenticity, and continued relevance of these cultural artifacts?
  • How do architectural restoration and spatial adaptations—such as theme parks, museums, and urban landscapes—function as forms of adaptation, reshaping historical spaces and built heritage to reflect contemporary values and cultural narratives? 
• Rebirth:
  • How do the processes of adaptation and restoration breathe new life into narratives, genres, and cultural identities? 
  • How can adaptation inspire a radical break from old ways of thinking about existing texts, spaces, media? 
  • In what ways do these practices contribute to the renewal of cultural heritage and the reimagining of stories within the ever-evolving tapestry of contemporary contexts?

Topics on this theme may also involve the following – and please note that this list is not exhaustive:

• Restoring or renovating spatial narratives and experiences
• Stage and musical revivals
• Translation, rewriting, and adaptation
• Re-releases and re-editions
• Fan interventions 
• Archive-inspired and archival adaptation
• Paratextual amendments and additions
• Restoring and reimagining mythologies
• Appropriation and reinterpretation 
• Ecocritical, postcolonial, and feminist perspectives
• Deconstruction and reconstruction

We welcome individual submissions for 20-minute papers or video essays, as well as proposals for roundtable sessions featuring 4-6 participants discussing a central topic suitable for group discussion. We also invite proposals for pre-constituted panels consisting of 3-4 papers or presenters focused on a core theme. Practice-oriented submissions are especially encouraged, as they provide an opportunity to explore the practical aspects of adaptation and restoration in various fields. 

For submission guidelines, click here.