How do we talk about the future, and how do our words shape the worlds we imagine? These are some of the questions that you and all participants will explore during “Brave New Words”, an event organised by the Erasmus+ CLADES network on September 11, 2026 (save the date!). This event is an open invitation to understand and be curious about the fundamental role that the future plays in discourse on democracy, equity, and sustainability.

Text by Jelte Olthof and the “Brave New Words” Organizing Team

“Brave New Works” is open to all interested in the workings of critical language awareness, ecolinguistics, future studies, and environmental discourse and rhetoric. By examining the interplay between language, power, and the environment, participants will together explore how discourse, rhetoric, and narratives (to name only a few) foster and frustrate intergenerational environmental stewardship and justice. Participants are asked to explore alternative ways of sharing their research results, such as interactive workshops, participatory debates, and/or fishbowl sessions.

What to expect and how to take part

The event will include short provocative presentations by invited speakers that will explore examples of stories that seek to positively influence and shape our common future. Invited guests include prominent critical language scholars, professors Hillary Janks (Wits University, South Africa) and Prof. Shawna Shapiro (Middlesbury college, USA) , as well as two leadings ecolinguists, professors Arran Stibbe (University of Gloucestershire) and Sune Vork Steffensen (University of Southern Denmark).

Rather than following a traditional conference format, we invite participants to share their research in creative and engaging ways. Interactive workshops, participatory debates, fishbowl sessions, and other collaborative formats are warmly encouraged. The event is open to everyone interested in how language, power, and the environment come together in imagining more just and sustainable futures.

During the day we focus on co-learning and collective exploration. The second part of the day is organised as an ‘unconference’. For this part of the event, all attendees who have an idea, project, workshop, dilemma or discovery to share (responding to or inspired by the event title “Brave New Words: Language, Environment and a just future), are invited to submit this during the registration. During the event, attendees will ‘pitch’ their proposals, and based on these pitches the final programme will be collectively decided on the spot.

The day will close with an interactive future-oriented improvisational comedy performance by Groningen’s own Stranger Things Have Happened.

Registration

To register for the event and secure your free lunch, please complete this short form. Also indicate whether you would like to pitch an idea and/or organize a workshop (20-25 min) for the “unconference” part of the event.

For questions about the event, please contact Jelte Olthof (jelte.olthof@rug.nl).

Preliminary program

10:00 start with coffee

10:30 Discussion starters: presentations by invited speakers on stories shaping a just future

12:15 Unconferencing pitches and programming

13:00 LUNCH BREAK

14:00 Unconference workshops (parallel sessions of 20-25 mins.)

16:00 Improvisation Theatre – Stranger Things Have Happened and closing

This event is organized by Agricola’s Responsus workgroup in collaboration with CLADES (Critical Language Awareness, Democratic Engagement, and Sustainability) which is an Erasmus+ network involving researches from Groningen, Ghent, Bratislava, Gloucestershire, and the Brussels-based NGO Solidar.

Tags: CLADES, Conference, event, language awareness, Research