Chair: Louise Gould
Submission deadline: 01 March 2024
Workshop papers are four, six or eight pages in length and describe activities that lie at the intersection of mathematics and art. We consider the arts to include fine arts (painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, photography, fiber arts, jewelry, etc.), performing arts (music, dance, theater, juggling, magic, etc.), language arts (literature, poetry, wordplay, etc.), cultural arts (cinema, fashion, etc.), and applied arts (architecture, design, mechanical puzzles, culinary art, etc.).
Workshops must have a mathematical component, an artistic component, and clear connections between the two. Every accepted workshop paper will be granted a 90-minute workshop session in the program, during which the authors are expected to lead a workshop described in their paper and answer questions. The rooms provided to the workshop normally have movable furniture, projector and screen. All other equipment, materials and costs needed for the realization of the workshop should be arranged by the workshop presenter.
Here are some additional guidelines that will help in the development of workshop papers:
- A workshop paper is not a just proposal to conduct a workshop, it should be written as a stand-alone paper that allows anyone to reproduce the workshop by simply reading the paper.
- Workshop handouts can be provided in Supplementary Files if they don’t fit in the paper.
- Workshop papers should not be used to convey material that can be provided in a Regular or Short paper session. The activities of the Workshop should be an essential part of the paper and not an add-on to the main material the author wishes to share.
- The core of the paper should be the description of an activity. What will participants do in the workshop session, and what materials will be used? A Workshop paper should not simply be a research paper with an implied activity—it should be clear that the authors have a clear plan for how they will engage with the participants.
- The paper should discuss both math and art explicitly, instead of simply assuming that either is self-evident. For example, a paper should not just describe a mathematical model that will be built but explain why that model is interesting artistically.
- A Workshop paper/activity can be connected to new mathematical research. If so, it’s fine to spend some space in the paper discussing the math, as long as it is in support of the activity and not vice versa.
- The workshop paper should be novel. However, it is not required that the entire workshop be a brand-new activity. Ideally there should at least be some new “angle” or “twist”, whether at the level of the underlying mathematics, the activity to be undertaken, or the expected results or outcomes.
- The Bridges audience likes papers that teachers could use in their classrooms. But more generally, a workshop can be any activity that would appeal to Bridges participants.
- If the workshop is geared towards classroom use, the paper should discuss the activity’s pedagogical aspects. It would be great to come away from the workshop being able to answer “what did you learn today?”, not just “what did you make today?”.
- Open-ended activities work better than activities designed to produce a pre-determined outcome. That is not a requirement, but we encourage authors to think about opportunities to make activities more open-ended.
- It is entirely appropriate for a workshop paper to include references.
- From a practical point of view, the workshop paper should describe the materials, space and apparatus needed. For example, will the presenter need access to a computer lab? Eventually the organizers will have to figure out whether a given workshop is actually feasible.
Prospective authors are encouraged to visit the Bridges Archive for examples of workshop papers from past years. The other rules for regular papers apply to workshop papers too: at least one author must attend the conference, and register by June 1. Each participant may be the primary author and presenter for only one conference paper. Workshop papers use the same formatting guidelines and submission process as regular papers.
Schedule
We will publish all papers in the online Bridges Archive before the beginning of the conference. Therefore, there is a tight and firm schedule:
- Initial submission: 01 March 2024
- Author notification: 15 April 2024
- Final manuscript submission: 30 April 2024
Contact
If you have any questions about workshop papers, please contact the chair at workshops@bridgesmathart.org.