LCAHM Conference 2026: Voices Everywhere

‘Voices Everywhere’ captures a deliberate duality. Phrased as an empowering call, the theme first evokes the resilient presence of voices from diverse places and backgrounds, especially those long marginalised, who continue to assert their perspectives, claim visibility, and resist attempts of censorship and silencing. It celebrates the persistence of expression in all its forms - spoken, written, performed, visual, and embodied - each asserting presence, agency, and identity in times of constraint.

Alternatively, the theme also encapsulates the reality of information overload. In a post-truth world characterised by the pervasiveness of social media and new technologies, we are often overwhelmed by noise, misinformation, and conspiracy theories. Questions of authenticity, authorship, and the survival of the ‘real’ thus become increasingly urgent as genuine voices risk being obscured or distorted.

‘Voices’ is an expansive term that invites multiple interpretations. Taken literally, it refers to the sounds people make when they speak, write, sing, or perform. Metaphorically, it implies diverse forms of expression and perspective, encompassing the many ways individuals experience the world and articulate their stories, subjectivities, and identities.

Texts, images, objects, movements, and performances can all be understood as ‘voices’ that communicate distinct viewpoints. Nonetheless, the ability to express these voices is never evenly distributed. As the asymmetry between the global North and the global South deepens, it prompts us to consider whose voices are amplified and whose are pushed aside. Beyond examining power structures and the politics of representation, we are invited to ask how marginalised voices can be supported to endure, flourish, and reach new audiences.