Fairytales of the Other: Film and Media Conference

Aim

This project exists so cost doesn’t decide who gets to speak. Your support keeps it free and supports local, culturally diverse businesses.

We are PhD researchers at the University of Aberdeen. As students and early-career researchers, we have repeatedly seen how inaccessible academia can be. Conference fees, travel costs, and hidden expenses often decide who gets to speak, who gains visibility, and who quietly remains outside the room. Many brilliant peers, especially international students and researchers from underrepresented backgrounds, miss opportunities not because their work is of poor quality, but because participation comes at a cost they cannot afford. We want to highlight that your voice and work are valuable and deserve to be heard.

We created "Fairytales of the Other" in response to this reality. We wanted to build a space where conversations about empathy, marginalisation, and cultural myth-making are not separated from the ethics of how academic events are organised. A conference about the "Other" should not reproduce exclusion in its own structure.

This non-profit, international conference is founded on the belief that access to knowledge should not depend on financial privileges. It invites students, early-career researchers, and supporters to participate, volunteer, or promote the event, fostering a community committed to inclusive scholarship. It provides a free, high-quality, and inclusive scholarly space for voices often excluded by high fees and structural barriers. While free to attend, the conference maintains high academic standards, including peer-reviewed panels, curated themes, and international participation.

Beyond academia, an opportunity for publishing the project is grounded in ethical practice and community engagement. Funds raised will support the organisation of the conference and provide catering sourced from local, culturally diverse and immigrant-focused businesses, ensuring the conference's values of cultural exchange, care, and inclusion are reflected both intellectually and materially.

Keeping this conference free is a deliberate choice. It is a commitment to students and early-career researchers who are passionate, capable, and often financially vulnerable. The conference offers networking opportunities and visibility for early-career scholars, supporting their professional growth without financial barriers. This conference is not about profit or prestige; it is about care, access, and responsibility. It is our way of creating the academic space we wish had existed when we needed it most, and the kind of space academia urgently needs now.

*You can register to participate or attend the conference here 

https://forms.office.com/e/tsd5JwZMBS

This project successfully funded on 12th March 2026